Your spine is not designed for too much flexion 

Flexion-based pain is the most ubiquitous back pain of our age- the kind related to being hunched over computers and cell phones; the kind related to sitting more and doing less. Whatever your reason for sitting so much, flexion based back pain results when the spine remains flexed for too long. With flexion occurring all the time, the back slowly wears down, resulting in degenerative conditions such as disc herniation, spinal stenosis and, more generally, back pain. 

A test for flexion-based intolerance

Simply bend over. If you experience pain while reaching for your toes, or your pain gets worse in this position, there is a good chance you have flexion intolerance. Another key question is whether you experience pain while sitting and does the pain disappear when you stand up or walk? 

Relieving flexion intolerance and pain

At our office in Fremont, we frequently treat people with flexion intolerance. Our goals to help you break out of this pain are as follows:

•  to limit motions that cause you pain,
• help you recognize when you are in a flexion dominant position and how to limit your time spent like this throughout the day
• Restoring neutral posture
• Strengthening the core stabilizing muscles 

In order to do this, we will use chiropractic adjustment to address any misalignment of the spine that has thus far occurred and to encourage healing of conditions such as herniated discs. We then prescribe a course for strengthening that takes into account your level of fitness and pain. 

Exercises to avoid for flexion-intolerant persons include: 

• Dead lifts 
• Back Squats
• Situps
• Crunches

Give our office in Milpitas a call so we can get you back on track in spite of any flexion-based intolerance you may be suffering!

Running is an injury-prone activity

For such an innate human movement, more and more runners find themselves sidelined by injuries ranging from pulled muscles and shin splints to runners knee and tendinitis. It is a jarring sport that affects the joints of the knees and the shock absorbing intervertebral discs in the spine. But it is worth noting that many of these common overuse injuries can be avoided completely by applying proper technique and adding a little variety into your running routine.

Preventing running injuries 

• Evaluate your stride: an efficient stride helps to minimize the chance for injury and maximize your chance for maintaining good posture. Aim to strike the ground under your hips rather than in front of your body 
• Check your cadence: 180 steps per foot per minute is an ideal cadence 
• Analyze your posture: staying upright is critical to preventing injury. 
• Change up your running surface: move from concrete to trail, to rubber track and back again. Concrete is the most jarring on your joints. 

If you are running regularly, it is worth placing a premium on minimizing repetitive stress. The above tips along with regularly replacing your running shoes can help you to minimize damage to your joints. Another way to minimize your risk for injury is by strength training the muscles which support you on your run. At Family Chiropractic & Natural Healing Center, we have years of experience helping runners adjust their body mechanics to avoid injury and stay on their feet. Give our office a call to schedule an appointment today.

Working out is, like most things in life, best when balanced

Many people sabotage themselves by working out with the wrong motives in mind; only focusing on one muscle group (especially mirror muscles), over or underestimating themselves and adjusting their workout accordingly; listening to every new fitness fad that comes along. At Family Chiropractic & Natural Healing Center, we believe that conventional wisdom is the best wisdom, especially when it comes to people who are only maintaining a tepid relationship with exercise. Let’s look at some standardized advice for people looking to add more workout into their life. 

A balanced workout routine in Milpitas

• Focus on variety: mixing up your exercises ensures that you will get a well-rounded body. It also helps to combat the monotony of exercise that often makes working out feel like a chore. 
• Strength training one day, cardio the next: cardio can sap your energy reserves for weight training and vice versa. Alternating them between days can keep exercise interesting and prevent you from burning out. 
• Focusing on the whole core: did you know that there are 29 core muscles in your back, abdomen and pelvis. Most people think of the core as just the abs, but this region is crucial for stability and injury prevention. 
• Choosing exercise you like: if you are doing an activity you like, it can hardly feel like a chore.
• Stretching: helps improve circulation and elasticity of muscle joints which preserves your range of motion and prevents injury!
• Fully warming up: if you are pushed for time, don’t short cut the warm up. This is the most important part of your exercise! 

Your workout support team in Milpitas, CA 

We support every effort you make at improving your health. If you have long-standing pain or issues that prevent you from enjoying exercise, give our office a call to schedule an appointment. Many people don’t know that an unbalanced spine can create uneven growth of muscle and lead to problems down the line. We ensure that your spine is in line, so your body can take the most out of every exercise session. 

Dr. Gregory Lind, D.C. 

 

 

Age is inevitable, pain is not! 

Aging is linked with aching because as cartilage wears away, ligaments and tendons stiffen, and structures such as vertebrae degrade, the natural result is pain. In order to stay feeling young, we need to start (as early as possible) conditioning our bodies to meet the challenges of old age head on. 

What can you do to get ready now and prevent pain in old age

At our office in Milpitas, we focus on conditioning the body in three ways: to maintain flexibility and thus range of motion, to hold a high standard of cardiovascular endurance and to maintain strength in the areas that matter. As with all things holistic, equal time should be devoted to each part of the trio. Mobility and posture are two ways that can determine our level of independence as we grow old.

At Family Chiropractic & Natural Health Center, we want to help you stay ahead of pain.

Whether you are a lifelong fitness devotee or someone who is feeling the first aches of age, we can help you put together a plan that will mitigate the pain of old age. Strength training is a great way to relieve pain in the joints, especially those of the lower back which have spent their lives supporting the weight of the upper body. It’s time to start listening to your body- call our office to schedule an appointment and let’s start fighting the onset of aging together today!

Dr. Gregory Lind, D.C. 

Tight hamstrings are little thought of when it comes to back pain

But they are one of the most important factors that should be accounted for when determining the origin of your lower back pain. These are large muscles in the back of the thighs which tend to become tight through lack of exercise, stretching and sedentary lifestyles. Seated posture, even good seated posture, still contributes to tightness in the hamstrings which then creates a pull on the network of muscles in the lumbar portion of the spine. The problem then perpetuates itself because people with low back pain are more likely to develop tight hamstrings. 

The relationship between tight hamstrings and low back pain

Tight hamstrings add to the problem further by restricting motion in the pelvis; the movement is then activated by the muscles of the lower back. With the level of stress increased on an already beleaguered region, its a recipe for instability and back pain that can be hard to identify.

Unwind your tight hamstrings to find pain relief in the lower back

At Family Chiropractic & Natural Healing Center, we have a plant to unwind tight hamstrings and therefore make significant inroads toward relieving pain in the lower back. Muscles tighten and atrophy due to lack of use, so we begin by targeting muscles that have been neglected in order to get them moving. We can show you specific stretches for tight hamstrings that can help you find relief from back pain. Give our office in Milpitas a call to schedule an appointment today.

Dr. Gregory Lind, D.C. 

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.