Posts by Hayes
When Being Bipedal Becomes a Curse: The Problems with Overpronation
Do you pay attention to the way you walk?
If you are like most people, you get up, put on your shoes and go. The act of walking becomes so subconscious that we never stop to check our gait. But your gait says a lot about you; from a chiropractor’s perspective, your gait also says a lot about your spinal health. Being bipedal means that a large percentage of the shock your body receives on a daily basis is processed through your feet.
Preventing and Treating Pinched Nerves in Dunedin
The “pinched nerve,“ is a ubiquitous blanket term; what exactly does it mean?
Very broadly, a pinched nerve happens when a given nerve is put under too much pressure by the surrounding bones, muscles and tendons. The pressure causes interference in nervous system signaling which translates to pain, numbness, tingling sensations and weakness. The nerve causes pain during movement, limiting range of motion; it can also cause radicular pain In which the actual discomfort is experienced somewhere other than the nerve which is pressurized. The scientific term radiculopathy is used to describe injury or simply irritation to a nerve which causes pain and contributes to dysfunction in the body.
Preventing Spinal Misalignment Day by Day
Spinal misalignment is a part of daily life
In fact, your spine is most likely misaligned as you read this. But misalignment does not necessarily need to be a cause for concern if you view your spine through the right lens. Too many people view their spine as a single structure, immutable and rigid. The truth is, your spine is a shifting mosaic of spinal motion segments, each specifically designed for a different type of motion.
- Cervical: provides flexibility and stability for the neck and supports the weight of the head,
- Thoracic: provides for rotation, flexion and extension of the upper body.
- Lumbar: supports the weight of the upper body, and provides stability to prevent excessive range of motion from damaging the spine
Despite what it may seem, your spine is designed for movement. But movement, and more importantly, lack of movement, are precisely the forces that help move your spine out of alignment. Misalignment is a natural part of life; it becomes a problem when:
- Musculature develops unevenly
- It causes dysfunction in the nervous system
- It contributes to spinal degneration
- It contributes to pain.
Why Does a Massage Feel So Good?
Massage goes deep with wellness benefits
Nothing feels better than a massage. Whether it comes from the hands of a loved one or from the hands of a qualified professional, the essence of a massage is the same: relaxing your body and mind so that stress and pain pass away. The state of heightened health you attain after massage includes boosted immunity that helps your body fight off illness and injury. At Hayes Family Chiropractic, we are proud to offer professional massage services that provide our patients with more well-rounded healthcare.
Putting Posture First: A Roadmap to Feeling Better
Have you ever had your posture checked?
There is a reason why it is one of the first things we do when we see a patient for the first time at Hayes Family Chiropractic. Every physical examination includes an evaluation of:
- Overall movement
- Range of motion
- Balance
- Posture
The outcomes of these tests help describe the overall state of your spinal health. Static postural analysis is a set of simple tests and observations that help us determine how you hold your body in a variety of activities. We then take into account your lifestyle to determine where any postural shortcomings may be taking a toll- for example, if you sit a lot and your sitting posture is less than ideal, this will be a point to focus on.
Chiropractic Offers First-Resort Pain Relief
Why choose chiropractic first
Because it makes a difference in the recurrence of back pain. Few people can afford to let back pain enter into their lives and do nothing about it. While the majority of back pain does heal itself (mostly) given time and attention to rehabilitation, acute back pain can be so severe as to distract you mentally and detract from your physical performance. In the short term, we reach for pain medicine to mask the symptoms, allowing us to go about our day as though the pain isn’t there. In many cases, we then perform activities that make the pain worse and the condition deepens. At Hayes Family Chiropractic, we subscribe to a different methodology that responds and treats even first time back pain as more than just a surface symptom.
Drinking Water Will Save your Life
Drinking water is the simplest way to improve your health
Are you one of the 75% of Americans who walk around chronically dehydrated? Chronic dehydration is dangerous because your body may become used to functioning with insufficient H2O- that is, you may not be picking up on the classic signs of dehydration. Here’s what to look out for:
- Dry, sticky mouth
- Fatigue or mood swings
- Dry eyes and blurred vision
- Headaches
- No need to pee and dark urine
Perhaps you can’t remember your last drink of water, and if this is the case your body is certainly suffering. So stop delaying, and grab a cup of water today!
An Action Plan for Avoiding the Post-Christmas Blues
After the rush of the holidays, heading back to normal life can feel rather mundane
The gifts have been given and all the delicious food consumed; in the background, the christmas music persists, but it rings slightly hollow. All the build up is now over and the tree will soon be out the door- as the decorations come down we need to be wary about our moods dropping too. We identify this vaguely empty feeling as the post-Christmas blues; but it is no time to despair. Instead turn your attention to the new year and start getting excited for 2018 by designing some personal health initiatives.
Stress and the Spine: A Roadmap to Subluxation
Stress and pain feed off of eachother
The vicious cycle can start with either input: chronic pain causes mental anguish and stress that then causes muscle tension; chronic stress causes prolonged muscle tension which can pull your spine out of alignment and pressurize spinal nerves. The end result is more stress and more pain; the cycle perpetuates itself. At Hayes Family Chiropractic, we focus on using spinal alignment as a primary means of regulating the nervous system, reducing pain and alleviating stress.
This Holiday Season, Believe in the Magic of the Spinal Adjustment
A Christmas card from your Dunedin chiropractor
Once the glitter of your New Year’s celebration has settled, how is your back going to feel? This is a question that many of us ignore as we are mired in holiday engagements and pursuing unhealthy holiday habits. Each New Year, we inevitably see many a patient who’s back has taken a beating during the intense holiday schedule. From our perspective, that’s no way to start a new year!