Posts by Dr. Hayes
Your Instinct Tells You to Stretch: Daily Decompression for Embattled Spines
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.
Cervicogenic Vertigo: It’s All in Your Neck
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.
The Many Postural Changes of Pregnancy (And Why They Hurt)
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!
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.
What To Do About Tailbone Pain During Pregnancy
The tailbone region comes under fire during pregnancy
The tailbone, also known as the coccyx, is a small, triangular bony structure at the base of the spine. It’s crucial location places it among the foremost battlegrounds of back pain during pregnancy. The tailbone is meant to contribute stability to the lower back, stabilize posture, and serves as the connecting point for many pelvic floor muscles. It provides for balance and weight distribution between the hips and supports a number of biological functions in both men and women. During pregnancy, several factors combine to threaten the coccyx region and cause pain:
- Pregnancy hormones
- Growing weight of the baby
- Postural changes and a shifting center of gravity
These risk factors can lead to localized pain in the coccyx, as well as a host of more serious injuries including: Symphysis Pubic Dysfunction, herniated discs and sciatica.
A More Comfortable Pregnancy with Chiropractic Care
Chiropractic makes pregnancy more comfortable
Pregnancy is notorious for being a time of discomfort for the mother-to-be; indeed, back pain, headaches, and nausea have become so ingrained in the pregnancy narrative, you begin to wonder why it has to be this way. The answer is that it doesn’t! Ask any woman who has received chiropractic treatment during pregnancy and you will discover a new perspective. Chiropractic goes a long way toward improving comfort during pregnancy. Here is how:
- Balances the pelvis, relieving tension from muscles and ligaments in the core.
- Maintains spinal alignment
- Relieves back pain naturally
- Helps to control symptoms of nausea
Holistic Healthcare for the Whole Family
Designing treatment plans specifically for your family
Every family unit is beautifully different and unique and we believe that the healthcare you choose to support yourselves should be equally special. The techniques that chiropractic relies on, as well as the exercises and stretches that support it, are to be shared between the entire family. It sets the tone for holistic healthcare- the kind that takes a natural, preventive approach to keeping our bodies ahead of injury and working optimally. This is something every family can get behind.
The Complementary Role of Chiropractic in Pediatric Care
Our goal is to deliver your child the highest level of pediatric care
To that end, we collaborate with pediatricians and medical doctors to ensure your child is getting the exact type of care they need. Our goal is to add another dimension of care to the most important time of life- the development phase. And while pediatricians, dentists, and opticians are looking out for what society deems as the “essentials of development,” who is looking out for your child’s spine? We are! At Hayes Family Chiropractic, we specialize in pediatric chiropractic, something we can say with confidence thanks to hundreds of hours of time we have put in to achieve ICPA certification status.
Chiropractic Applications in Pediatric Care
Understanding the effectiveness of chiropractic for children
Chiropractic offers a golden opportunity for parents who are looking to provide their children with treatment that supports healthy bodily development and management of health conditions without the necessity for drugs. Many studies have found that chiropractic is a safe and effective form of natural medicine that supports the healthy development of the spine as well as treatment for symptoms including colic and chronic ear infections. But pediatric chiropractic is not the same as normal chiropractic- the process for spinal adjustment is completely different. In order to understand why, we have to understand how a child’s body differs from our own.
Habitually Healthy Humans: Chiropractic for Children’s Health
What we repeatedly do defines our health
Let’s take it back to the beginning, stripping away all the layers of ill-health and pain that have accumulated into your adulthood. Now let’s assume that we had started with a preventive-first approach to healthcare- that is the opportunity that your children have! Chiropractic modalities including spinal adjustment contribute to healthy development of the body and nervous system while simultaneously preventing many childhood illnesses, including:
- Colic
- Earaches
- Neck and back pain