Archive for December 2016

Stiff necks are epidemic among deskbound workers.

As the main portal between head and body, the neck is subject to the weight and position of the head above and the curvature of the spine below. Spending hours at a desk, often hunched over in front of the computer in the forward head and shoulder posture destabilizes your entire support structure.

• The forward pull of the head magnifies weight to the spine, creating excessive pressure on the intervertebral discs in the lower neck
• Muscles of the upper back are constantly firing in order to maintain a counterweight against the pull of gravity on the head
• The upper back and shoulders round, further intensifying the problem. 

Given long enough, this repetitive trauma will contribute to degenerative problems in the neck, but more likely you will go through an agonizingly long period of muscle strain. That stiff neck is not normal and it’s time we start doing something about it. 

Healing a stiff neck with the help of Family Chiropractic & Natural Healing Center

At our office in Milpitas, we focus on the following when it comes to healing a stiff neck: 

• Begin by relieving muscle tension

• Improve blood circulation to the injurious region, to bring healing nutrients and oxygen to the embattled cells

• Improve range of motion

Our techniques involve gentle adjustment of the spine to release pressure from nerves. Furthermore, we provide spinal traction that targets tight muscles and helps to elongate them, creating space for the blood to flow in to the aid of the muscles in your stiff neck! Once we have established a lessening of the stiffness and a trajectory of healing, we show you simple exercises and stretches that can be employed throughout the work day to keep those muscles from returning to that stiff state! To create a coordinated plan for healing your stiff neck, give our office a call in Milpitas to schedule an appointment today.

Dr. Gregory Lind, D.C.

Are you part of the majority of people who are deficient in D? 

Vitamin D is one of the most important fat-soluble vitamins that we just simply can’t get enough of. In the summer time, 10-15 minutes of exposure to the direct sunlight allows our skin to produce enough of what we need on a daily basis, but this dynamic shifts in the winter when few places in North America receive enough sunlight to allow us our daily ration. So even if you are out in the winter sun, you may not be reaching your daily allowance for D. This vitamin is well known for its importance in preserving bone density and allowing for calcium and phosphorous absorption, but it is also important for supporting the immune system and fighting illness. Vitamin D also helps to fend off weight gain and even encourage weight loss, as well as fight depression, especially the Seasonal Affective Disorder which is thought to occur in some 20% of Americans. 

Getting enough vitamin D in winter means adding it in through your diet

This would be the easiest (and tastiest) way to add it in, although supplements are also a consideration. Many dairy products are fortified with vitamin D, but consuming it naturally means getting fishy: among some of the best sources of vitamin D are cold water fish such as salmon, cod and halibut, and shellfish including shrimp and oysters. A less thought of, but steady source of D are mushrooms, with some varieties even being fortified with more of the vitamin. 

Pay special attention to your body this winter with a little help from Family Chiropractic & Natural Healing Center. 

We want to help you feel your greatest even when the hours of daylight are shorter and the weather is dreary. Whether this means regulation of the nervous system through chiropractic adjustment or the treatment of tense muscles; improving range of motion or creating dietary awareness, we are there for you! Give our office in Milpitas a call to schedule an appointment today. 

Dr. Gregory Lind, D.C. 

How do you finish your work out? 

We ask this question because there is one important little step which is often left out of many exercise routines: the cool-down. You have worked hard and earned the endorphin boost that is surging through your body and now you are ready to hit the shower and get on with your day. But consider taking a few extra minutes to gently stretch the body and practice deep breathing, to make the transition back to normal life extra smooth! Cooling down is low-key and it feels great: it’s all about lowering your heart rate and treating any regions that may have incurred even slight stress during the exercise (think: lower back; shoulders). 

Try Child’s Pose

Child’s Pose is a basic yoga move that has wide ranging benefits. In the wake of a work out in can be used to release tension in the back, stretch the hips, thighs and ankles and lower the heart rate. This is a resting pose that encourages you to relax and focus on releasing tension while breathing deeply.

1. Start on hands and knees
2. Spread knees as wide as hips; keep big toes touching
3. Sit on your heels
4. Exhale; lay torso down between thighs
5. Lay hands, palm up, beside the torso and feel tension release from shoulders
6. Rest and breathe deeply between 30 seconds and three minutes

Family Chiropractic & Natural Healing Center helps you optimize every work out. 

From the warm-up to the cool-down and everything in between, we believe passionately in the importance of exercise and we want to make sure that your body is firing optimally while you perform. Our services help you by regulating the nervous system, improving range of motion and treating tense muscles, all factors that help you excel in working out and in life! Give our office in Milpitas a call to schedule an appointment today. 

Dr. Gregory Lind, D.C. 

 

With winter fast approaching, there is no better time to talk about warming up! 

Warming up truly means warming: a gentle routine should see your body temperature rise and the muscles follow: the transition from cold, contracted muscles to loose and warm ones makes a world of difference when it comes to injury prevention and range of motion improvement. At Family Chiropractic & Natural Healing Center, we want our warm ups to lend elasticity to the muscles, allowing you to move on to deeper exercise with your muscles fully able to contract and relax without injury. 

When it comes to warming up, patience is a virtue. 

Especially in cold weather, your muscles need a little more time. Rather than blitzing them with static exercises, focus on dynamic warm ups that use only your body weight (or simple things like a foam roller) to get your muscles in a state of optimization that will allow you to reap the greatest reward from your work out. 

Keeping your fitness up in winter takes dedication. 

The reality is we are less likely to be as proactive about working out during winter and this is a reason why we see increased reports of muscle and joint pain during winter months. We help you stay on top of your fitness during winter so that you can: 

• Maintain and control weight
• Improve circulation
• Keep muscle pain and joint stiffness down
• Strengthen muscles 

These are things that keep you truly healthy, despite the grey weather! Give our office in Milpitas a call to schedule an appointment today!

Dr. Gregory Lind, D.C. 

Tight shoulders are epidemic

If you are coming home from a day spent at the desk with tight shoulders, or an upper back full of knots, you are among a legion of Americans whose entire spine is up against it in the workplace. What will differentiate you from the crowd is your willingness to do something about it. We are able to function with a stiff, sore upper back because it usually doesn’t progress beyond this stage; our muscles get used to that tight, scrunched up position you constantly demand of them and they adapt: the upper trapezius constantly contracts, pulling the shoulders up and holding them there while the middle and lower trapezius weaken from lack of use. 

How do we fight tight shoulders on the job?

Stretching is the number one way to fight against the physical (and mental) stress that accumulates during your eight hour work day. You can relax a stiff neck and tight shoulders from the space you are sitting in, which will help you reset, refocus and refresh. Remember that if your muscles are super tight, they probably don’t want to be stretched too aggressively for fear of injury. Keep the movements simple and always remember to breathe. 

1. Try a deep breath. Inhale and lift your tight shoulders up slowly toward your ears. Exhale and let your shoulders fall and the tension along with it. Repeat as many times as feels good. 
2. Neck circles: lower right ear to the right shoulder, then roll it down across the chest so that left ear is down toward left shoulder. 
3. Squeeze shoulder blades together to open up your chest

Try doing these once every hour or whenever you think of it. 

How does the chiropractor help your tight shoulders?

We help by identifying the root cause of your pain and stiffness- for example, a sore neck could be symptomatic of tight hips, but it may not appear that way to you. We help identify and adjust spinal imbalances that create nerve irritation and focus on improving range of motion. We show you the zones that matter for maintaining good posture- the core, and load-bearing regions, and focus on strengthening them so that a day at the desk doesn’t take too big a toll. For help on protecting your body against the rigors of daily work and releasing those tight shoulders, give our office in Milpitas a call to schedule an appointment today. 

Dr. Gregory Lind, D.C.