Note: ALWAYS inform your chiropractor if you’ve recently been in any sort of accident or if you’re pregnant — it will drastically change your treatment plan!

Being in a car accident is terrifying no matter what the circumstances might be. The best outcome you can hope for is to walk away with no injuries. If you’re unfortunate enough to sustain even minor injuries, chiropractic care is your best friend on the road to recovery. It is designed to heal many injuries that typically result from car accidents. Despite the severity of the crash, it’s a good idea to see a chiropractor afterward — even if you feel fine in the moment. Here’s why:

Many assume that as we age, we become less capable of simple physical tasks. While it is true that the elderly are more fragile and are more likely to hurt themselves from slips & falls, it is a misconception that nothing can be done about it. For some, it may become a self-fulfilling prophecy; they assume they cannot complete physical tasks, so they don’t attempt in the first place. Being proactive in our physical health becomes more and more important as we age; and a lack of trying can become a major contributor to increased fragility later in life.

Aging is natural — but if you take care of your body earlier in life, you’ll be more equipped to deal with obstacles that present themselves later on. There are plenty of news articles about octogenarians that still run marathons, play hockey, go biking and more. We may think of them as anomalies, but they really don’t have to be.

Anyone can administer proper care for their bodies by staying active and eating healthy. Nevertheless, the body does still become slower and more fragile — that’s why chiropractic as you age is so crucial. It will help to preserve range of motion, improve your balance and keep you strong and limber.

​“Chiropractors are not real doctors. Plus, all they know is how to treat the spine, they really don’t know the rest of the body. It’s too expensive, it’s dangerous, and who knows if it even works.” We have heard it all before, we know you are thinking it so, we are here to set the facts straight.

I take pride in the fact that my chiropractic practice is family-oriented. This means that I can help anybody in the family — from toddlers and kids to teenagers, adults and even senior citizens. Many older people have the mindset that it’s either too late in life for them to get help with their pain issues, or that chiropractic care is harmful to elderly, frail bodies. But this is at best a misconception. Chiropractic care is helpful for people of all ages, even if you think it’s “too late”.

​Because bones grow fragile and muscles become weaker as we age, it only comes naturally that range of motion decreases and balance becomes harder to maintain. An estimated 33% of seniors fall down each year; and when flexibility and fragility are increased, so too is the chance of serious injury.

Chiropractic care aims not only to relieve pain, but to strengthen the muscles around the spine by prescribing simple daily stretches and exercises. They don’t take long to do, but they go a very long way in improving balance to decrease the odds of falling down. And since the exercises strengthen the muscles, they also help to neutralize any severe injuries that come with falling down.

’Tis the season yet again. No, not holiday season. This season is arguably more exciting for parents — I’m speaking of course about back-to-school season! As we all finish up our last-minute shopping for new clothes, accessories and school supplies, it’s important to be aware of the impact heavy backpacks have on our children. Kids wear backpacks packed with textbooks and supplies to, from and during school for hours on end, 5 days a week. It truly does take a toll on kids’ posture and spinal health. In fact, during a study in Riverside, CA, an estimated 64% of children aged 11–15 complained that they had experienced back pain at some point due to their backpack — 2 of every 5 kids said they experience regular pain WHILE wearing their backpack. This pattern of behavior is not only painful in the short term, it has serious ramifications later on in life. Back pain is a serious matter, so it’s important to avoid bad habits — the earlier the better. Here are some tips to save your child’s spine this school year.​

According to the American Chiropractic Association, "The word ‘chiropractic’ comes from the Greek words cheir (meaning ‘hand’) and praktos (meaning ‘done’), i.e. Done by Hand."

But how did it get to be one of the leading non-invasive forms of neck and back pain relief that it is today? Here we will explore the origins of chiropractic as a practice, how it developed, and give a brief historical background of the practice's founder, Danial David Palmer.

Before this, he was a practitioner of what was know as “magnetic healing,” where magnetic fields around a patient’s body were manipulated to heal ailments. As a spiritual man, the formation of Chiropractic was a spiritual journey for Palmer.

In 1895 on a summer day, Daniel Palmer was returning to his magnetic healing office, where he ran into the building's janitor, Harvey Lillard. Palmer noticed that he had a visible bump on his back and inquired about it. Lillard replied that while he was working one day, he felt a painful pop in his back, which he presumed was a slipped disc, and from that point on had hearing difficulties. Daniel then performed the very first chiropractic adjustment on Lillard, realigning his spine. Lillard then claimed that his hearing had improved. Chiropractic was born.

Palmer then went on to form the Palmer School of Cure in 1897. People became fascinated with this innovative healing art Palmer was practicing and wanted to learn about it. The institution still exists today and is called the Palmer College of Chiropractic. Located in Davenport, Iowa, it stands proud as the trusted leader in chiropractic, the first chiropractic college and continues to have the highest enrollment amongst other chiropractic colleges. Many skillful and talented chiropractors have studied at this institution including Dr. Steve Petrak.

In 1913, the first state law licensing chiropractors was passed in Kansas. By 1931, chiropractic was legally recognized in 39 states. Today, the practice is recognized in all 50 states and even internationally in places like Canada, Mexico, Great Britain, Australia, Japan, and Switzerland.

​Palmer left a monumental mark on the medical world. His legacy carries on through chiropractors, who aid the roughly 30 million people worldwide who seek chiropractic care annually.

The Palmer method is named after Daniel Palmer and involves combining several different techniques for more efficient healing:

• Gonstead: specific and precise. This method targets one and only one area of the body, in order to relieve pain and prevent future problems in that bodily region.
• Diversified: the most common type of chiropractic care. It restores mobility and range of motion via “high velocity and low amplitude” thrusts within each individual joint that’s affected.
• Thompson: uses the Thompson drop table (shown above)
• Activator: small, handheld device that uses high velocity, low amplitude thrusts to deliver chiropractic adjustments.
  

For more information on more chiropractic methods, see our post about it here.

​If you're considering chiropractic treatment for pain or other conditions, schedule a consultation below.

This winter, slip into a chiropractor's office! It’s that time of year again. As the weather gets colder and the snow gently falls, it’s easy to be lulled into tranquility by the peacefulness that comes with winter. Unless, of course, you slip on the ice. An unfortunate byproduct that comes with these freezing Midwestern temperatures is frozen, hazardous patches of ice scattered throughout the streets and sidewalks. The last thing you need as you walk out of your house on your way to work in the morning is to slip and create a surprise snow angel in your driveway. But it still happens. In 2014 alone, there were over 42,000 workplace injuries due to falling on ice. That’s just in the workplace; who knows how many falls happen at home that never get reported or treated.

When you slip and fall (whether on ice or not), your body is susceptible to serious injury. If you experience an unexpected impact without bracing yourself, especially on the spine, it can cause serious subluxations, or misalignments, that lead to pinched nerves, vertebrae dislocation, and/or other issues. Ironically, your first reaction to slipping on ice would probably be to put ice on the injured area. And while that definitely helps with inflammation and may relieve some pain temporarily, it doesn’t help to correct the root of the problem. The spine is connected with the nervous system, so problems within them can cause significant, sometimes debilitating, conditions. I have extensive experience with treating injuries of all kinds. My individualized approach will:

• Improve muscle soreness and stiffness
  
  
• Increase mobility and range of motion
  
  
• Lessen pain from hernia
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• Promote physical strength
  
  

If pain persists for more than a day or two after the injury, it’s important to see a chiropractor. In fact, it never hurts to get even minor injuries checked out, just to be safe.

Winter is notorious for causing an increase in accidental fall injuries. Take extra precaution this season by adequately salting your driveway, sidewalk and porch — but most of all, don’t rush. Take your time and watch your step when you’re not on your own property. You can’t always count on others to be as responsible as yourself.

​But if you do wind up taking an unexpected winter tumble, schedule a consultation. There could be subtle injuries to your spine that you may not notice now, but will become worse over time. It’s better to be safe than sorry and nip those injuries in the bud before they become serious.