Traps- what are they good for?

Answer: shoulder stability which can mean absolutely everything depending on how you spend the majority of your day. When you sit for hours on end, the trapezius becomes contracted which contributes to that all-too-familiar feeling of stiffness in the upper back and neck. A rather large muscle, the trapezius extends from occipital bone in the neck to the lower thoracic vertebrae, and has implications in shoulder mechanics and stability, overhead movement of the arms, and certain movements in the neck. 

The trapezius is one of the most neglected muscles in the gym

We seek to change this fact. At Greenway Plaza Chiropractic, we see the trapezius as integral to a healthy back. Because of its location, we want to focus on keeping it toned regularly to prevent shoulder pain and stiffness and promote fluid mechanics in the upper back. Furthermore, a strong trapezius makes keeping your shoulders back and your head balanced atop your spine easier- two important pieces of healthy posture. 

We have a plan for stretching and strengthening the trapezius in Houston

If you are interested in taking your trapezius to new heights, give our office a call to schedule an appointment today. We can help you add a plan into your regular routine that will condition the upper, middle and lower trapezius to encourage a healthy alignment of the shoulders and show you some easy stretches that can be done from your desk to keep your shoulders free of stiffness.

Dr. Gregory Lind, D.C. 

 

Are you having trouble falling asleep in Milpitas? It may be time to address you sleep environment.

One factor that is often overlooked by people with sleep troubles is the environment. While it would be impossible to put an exact number on the percentage, I would wager that a good amount of sleep success is determined by factors relating to your sleep environment. 

What exactly is a sleep environment?

A sleep environment takes into account all the factors in your bedroom outside of your body. Things like temperature, light, noise, even the color of your walls can contribute to a sound environment for sleeping or a disruptive one. It is important to take advantage of your sleep environment because these are the factors you can directly control; sleep disorders and genetics are things you have less control over. 

Creating your personal sleep environment

These are strictly confined to ambient factors:

• Mattress: do you prefer firm or soft? The mattress could be the one place where your money matters most; we can help you make an educated decision about which mattress will help you get the best night’s rest. 
• Cleanliness of your bedding: sleep hygiene goes a long way; after all, there’s no feeling quite like a fresh set of sheets. 
• Temperature of the room: you want your room to be slightly cooler, allowing you to get cozy under the covers. 
• Control of noise: this can go both ways- limit distracting noises, but implement calming ones. Many people find that sleeping with a white noise is a great help.
• Smells in the air: calming scents such as lavender can help set the tone for sleep 
• Bedclothes: are you comfortable in pajama pants and a shirt or do you feel they get twisted around you in the night? Sleep in whatever is most comfortable. 

Things to leave out of your room include: screens of all shapes and sizes 

Is pain a contributing factor to your sleep environment?

Allowing pain to linger is a great way to interfere with sleep. If you have a long standing condition that is causing pain in your muscles or back, give our office in Milpitas a call to schedule an appointment today. We are specialists in detecting the true source of your pain and setting a course for rehabilitation that includes chiropractic adjustment and stretching modalities to help you leave pain in the past. 

Dr. Gregory Lind, D.C. 

 

Why stretch in bed? 

Because it’s you and your bed against the world. You know the comfort that is waiting for you at the end of a hard day’s work and commute and crawling in to bed feels like the reward you deserve. As you sink into your comfy world and the stress dissolves, we believe you can take the relaxation one step further with a few simple stretches. Don’t worry, we aren’t asking you to get out bed- that would be ridiculous. These moves can be made from the mattress to release muscle tension further and get your body either ready to sleep or ready to wake! It just depends on your attitude. 

Stretching from bed 

As with all stretching, we want to practice mindfulness- deep breathing is a key that will help nourish the brain as well as the body; to keep the calm vibes coming. These particular stretches target the lower back and hip regions- two epicenters of tension that tend to stay tight from day to day. 

• Hamstring stretch: lay flat on your back, lift one leg up; raise it as high and straight as possible, while keeping your buttcheeks firmly on the bed. Hold 30 seconds then switch legs and repeat.  
• The back lift: lay flat on your back, place your two arms on the bed and use them to gently raise your back up while keeping your pelvis on the bed. 
• Spine twist: Lay flat, bend both knees up to your chest then cross them over and drop them down the right side of your body. Extend your left arm and look over left shoulder. Hold 30 seconds, release and repeat. 
• Knee to chest: lay flat, bring one knee up toward your chest and clasp your thigh with both hands. Hold 30 seconds, release and repeat with other leg.

How we help you find relaxation at Family Chiropractic & Natural Healing Center 

With these simple stretches you can influence a whole new level of relaxation without even leaving the bed. At Family Chiropractic & Natural Healing Center, we know the importance of bed, sleep and stretching. They are cornerstones of wellness and we will do everything in our power to help you reap their benefit. If you are struggling with long-standing pain that prevents you from reaping the relaxation of bed, give our office in Milpitas a call to schedule an appointment today. 

Dr. Gregory Lind, D.C. 

Springtime is the best time to make fitness goals

With the weather turning, the colors popping and an overall mood of optimism in the air, it is time to take advantage of the season to make changes in the way you feel. At Family Chiropractic & Natural Healing Center, we are ready to leave the winter behind and clean up our act by getting outside and treating our bodies right. Are you there with us?

Spring cleaning our health habits

• Drink water: to help with digestion, flushing out toxins, boosting energy and making your skin look great, what more reason do you need? 
• Go outside for vitamin D’s sake: the sun is calling your name- it’s time to get out for a walk just to soak up the sun. 
• Take advantage of farmer’s markets to eat seasonally: leave the processed foods behind and get the maximum nutrition from the freshest produce. 
• Leave out the junk food and focus on lean proteins and anti-inflammatory ingredients. Get spicy!
• Sleep well: rhythm and schedule are the keys here. Shoot for at least 7 hours a night and try to be in bed by roughly the same time every night. 

Head into spring with the right foot forward

If your body is reeling from a winter spent indoors, sitting too much, give our office in Milpitas a call. We are specialists in reversing the pain that is inherent in sedentary lifestyles. We identify and correct spinal imbalance that causes nerve impingement and focus on treating muscle dysfunction and pain to help you feel your best. Achieving your health goals is not easy when your body is working against you; let’s get together and resolve any long-standing issues you have with your body so you can set yourself up for success this spring! 

Dr. Gregory Lind, D.C. 

Setting goals is the best way to get started on the way to fitness

Getting fit or improving fitness levels can be a daunting task- no matter where you are on the fitness spectrum you can always benefit from a little goal-setting. However, not all goals are created equal; to set goals that are too hard or too unrealistic is to handicap yourself. This tends to stack the odds against us and set us up for failure rather than success. At Family Chiropractic & Natural Healing Center, we believe in the power of goal-setting so we came up with a checklist for setting successful ones.

With fitness goals it is important to start small: here are five elements for finding success with your goal-setting. 

• Time frame: short goals are easier to visualize than long ones. 8 weeks (2 months) is a space of time that easy to wrap your head around. 
• Start with one goal that you actually care about: do you like to run, walk, swim, stretch or bike? Choose an activity that you truly enjoy and alot time to it
• Write it down: in bold letters in a place that you frequently see. You want to make this goal a psychological tick. 
• The more specific the better: that’s why the idea of walking 10,000 steps a day came about. By putting a nice round number on an activity, you give yourself a baseline that is easy to understand. Remember that whether it be a quantity of units or time, pick a number that you can achieve with ease at first. 
• Schedule the time: write down in your weekly planner the exact times that you will pursue your goal. 

Achieving your goals is made easier by starting with the upper hand

The more your body hurts, the less likely you are to follow through with fitness-related activities. Even walking can be made miserable if your muscles are constantly aching, your head is throbbing or your spine is causing you debilitating pain. At our office in Milpitas, we help by detecting the true cause of your body’s dysfunction and pain 

Dr. Gregory Lind, D.C.