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5 Amazing Side Effects of Seeing the Chiropractor

5 Amazing Side Effects of Seeing the Chiropractor

Believe it or not, the second most common reason people go to the doctor in the United States is for lower back pain. It so happens that this is also one of the many ailments and everyday struggles that seeing the chiropractor can help with. Chiropractors are medical professionals who help patients with the neuromusculoskeletal system, including the spine, nerves, muscles, tendons, and more. Whether you suffer from chronic pain or not, a visit to the chiropractor can do you a lot of good. Read on to learn five amazing side effects of seeing a chiropractor.

1. Get Better Sleep

Chiropractic care can actually help you get better sleep at night.

For those who suffer from pain that keeps them up at night, a chiropractor can reduce this pain for you.

For those who aren’t in pain, you may still have mild spine misalignment or muscle tension issues causing unnoticeable physical strain. When the chiropractor removes this strain, it allows your body to relax more fully. As a result, you sleep better and feel more rested in the morning!

2. Reduce Pain Throughout Your Body

Short-term and long-term pain can be treated with chiropractic care. In fact, some doctors will recommend non-invasive treatments like chiropractic care before suggesting surgery or medication.

One study even showed that spinal manipulation treated non-specific neck pain better than medication treatment.

Chiropractors are often taught after for neck and back pain, but they can also treat headaches caused by tension and neck pain.

3. Improve Your Digestion

Since chiropractic care boosts the health of your spine and everything attached to it, it also benefits your nervous system.

It’s no secret that your nervous system and digestive system are connected—many of the nerves that are ultimately attached to your spine play key roles in your digestive processes.

As a result, seeing a chiropractor can improve digestion ailments. In some cases, it has even been known to help with IBS, heartburn, and constipation.

4. Enhance Your Range of Motion

Another of the many reasons to see a chiropractor is that it can improve your range of motion.

Over time, many of your body’s connective elements – like your tissues, joints, and ligaments – wear down. Chiropractic services can slow down this deterioration, saving you from pain down the road.

5. Gain Better Posture

Poor posture is a prevalent problem as many people sit too much throughout the day. If you have poor posture, chiropractors can work with you to improve it over time and reduce any resulting pain.

Better back mobility and strengthened muscles will also help you maintain good posture later in life.

Seeing the Chiropractor Can Change Your Life

Regular chiropractic care can truly change your life by helping you maintain a healthy and pain-free existence.

On top of treating common causes of pain, seeing the chiropractor can improve your posture, enhance your range of motion, improve your digestion, and help you get better sleep at night. The amazing side effects of seeing a chiropractor!

Interested in taking advantage of these prime benefits and more? Check out our services today.

5 Unexpected Ways to Herniate a Disc

5 Unexpected Ways to Herniate a Disc

Did you know that per 1,000 adults in the United States, there are up to 20 cases of herniated discs every year? They are extremely common and can be quite painful.  But just because they’re common doesn’t mean they always have normal causes.  Read on to learn five unexpected ways that you could herniate a disc and end up with back pain.

1. Grocery Shopping

Everyone goes grocery shopping, and it’s a fairly safe errand. Still, you can herniate a disc while doing it. How?

Common causes are lifting heavy items the wrong way and deterioration from frequent lifting. 

When shopping, it’s not usual for people to try to lift heavy items, especially when you only want to make one trip out to the car when bringing your groceries in. You also do a lot of bending and lifting when picking up and setting down grocery bags and items.

2. Shaving Your Legs

If you shave your legs by bending down, it’s time to change that routine. Bending in half to shave your legs in the shower puts a lot of strain on the part of your back most susceptible for a herniation – your lumbar. 

Worse yet, showers are slippery. If you fall while shaving in that position, one of your resulting injuries will likely be your lumbar. 

3. Sneezing

As you probably know, sneezing causes an uncontrollable and forceful reaction. This reaction causes you to hunch over in a way that can actually herniate a disc. 

While this cause is rare, it’s a result of discs that are already degenerated and in poor condition due to other causes, including bad posture, being overweight, heavy lifting, and so on. 

Herniated disc symptoms also include back pain when you sneeze. If you experience this, you should see a doctor.

4. Office Work

Office workers and other individuals who work at a computer for long periods throughout the day without getting up or stretching are also at risk. 

Looking at a computer all day causes you to bend your neck in a way that can result in tech neck. Symptoms of tech neck include neck pain, bad posture, and herniated discs. 

You can also get tech neck from looking at your phone screen too often.

5. Exercising

Exercising is good for your health and can even help strengthen your back muscles to prevent injury.

At the same time, the wrong type of exercise can do more damage. This is because your discs absorb the shock your back experiences when exercising. Very intense workouts that put a lot of strain on your back can wear down your discs. 

To prevent this, avoid overly high-impact back exercises and those that put pressure on your lumbar in particular. 

Avoid These Herniated Disc Causes

Herniated disc causes aren’t always what you would expect. Your discs can wear down over time from everyday activities until one day you’re surprised by an injury. 

While you can’t stop exercising, shaving, working, sneezing, or grocery shopping, you can work to limit your disc deterioration and risk of unexpected ways to herniate a disc. 

If you’re interested in how to maintain a healthier spine, check out our services today. We offer chiropractic and decompression therapy, among other specialties.

Why Golfers Love Chiropractic

Why Golfers Love Chiropractic

Are you a golfer who’s feeling some of the aches and pains that are so common amongst lovers of the sport

Golf is a lot of fun. It’s a great way to socialize and get some much-needed exercise for people of all ages. No one can deny that it’s a healthy practice.

That said, there’s a reason why golfers love chiropractic care. There are several common golf injuries in chiropractic offices, and luckily, professionals are able to handle them.

Not convinced that it’s time to see a chiropractor? No problem; we’re here to explain. Keep reading to learn why golf and chiropractic care go together so well. 

It Can Improve Flexibility in Golfers

Did you know that all good golfers should have a solid baseline of flexibility? 

No one expects you to be a yoga master or gymnast, but having a somewhat flexible body will help your swing and your overall performance. 

If you go to a chiropractor for preventative care, they can use a deep tissue massage and adjustment techniques to reduce stiffness in your spine and thus increase your flexibility.

Not only will this improve your golf game, but it will also help you prevent spinal injuries in the future. 

It Can Improve Posture

How is your posture? 

Anyone who works at a desk all day likely has inadequate posture. Poor posture can lead to several health problems in the future, but it can also affect your golf game!

Many golfers don’t pay enough attention to their posture while they’re golfing. While it’s true that the average golfing stance is a bit bent over, if you don’t do it right, you could be setting yourself up for poor swings and a back injury.

When you go to a chiropractor, they can help you learn how to hold your body while you’re golfing. They can also use deep tissue massage to loosen up your back and reduce posture problems. 

It Can Help Heal Injuries for Golfers

While we don’t often think of golf as a dangerous sport, golfers can experience serious injuries

Not just golfers elbow but one of the biggest risks for golfers is back and neck pain. While you can avoid these problems if you see a chiropractor often, they can also make adjustments after you’re already injured. 

You can also take advantage of saunas to relax some of your tense and sore muscles.

One of the best things about chiropractic for golf injuries is that it’s non-invasive and it doesn’t require the use of medication. With a few adjustment sessions and some rest, you can get back to the green. 

Do You Love Chiropractic Care Yet?

Take it from golfers who already love chiropractic care: it helps. While you can relieve pain and heal injuries with an experienced chiropractor, you can also avoid those aches and pains in the first place.

Before you start seeking pain medication or surgical options, visit a chiropractor to see what they can do for you.

If you’re ready to find a local chiropractor in Mill Creek, WA, we want to meet you! Contact us at Amazing Life Chiropractic and Wellness to set up an appointment today.

How the Red Light Table Targets Fat Loss

How the Red Light Table Targets Fat Loss

Less Cellulite

In a 2011 study on red light therapy and cellulite reduction, women ages 25-55 were divided into two groups: some did treadmill exercise + red light therapy twice a week, while the other group just did treadmill exercise. The researchers presented thermographic photographs of the changes in thigh circumference and cellulite to demonstrate that red light therapy and exercise was more effective than just exercise alone. The study concluded that treadmill exercise and red light therapy in conjunction can improve body aesthetics.

Cosmetic Body Contouring

Many people trying to lose weight just want to look better in the mirror, or at the beach. A wide variety of therapies to target fat and improve appearance are called “body contouring” or “body sculpting”, some surgical, others noninvasive. But many of them don’t work, and/or produce troublesome side effects. Red light therapy is completely natural & noninvasive and has proven to be an effective option for changing the way your body looks.

Smaller Waistline, Less Girth

A study in the Journal of Obesity Surgery researched red light therapy for body contouring. This 2011 double-blind, randomized study performed light therapy at 635-680 nanometers (nm) on participants for four weeks and recorded effects on the size of their waistline. At the end of the study, participants had achieved a statistically significant reduction in waistline girth.

Targeted Fat Loss

In a similar study published in Lasers in Surgery Medicine, participants who received light therapy showed a significant reduction in overall circumference, including numerous parts of the body. Researchers concluded that light therapy can reduce the circumference of the specific areas of the body that are treated with natural light.

Tighter Hips & Thighs

A 2013 study in the same journal also found benefits from red light therapy at 635 nm for contouring the hips, thighs, and waist. At the end of the trial, researchers found a mean loss of 2.99 inches in overall body size compared to the starting point. Separately, the thigh, waist, and hip areas all showed a reduction too. Researchers concluded that red light therapy at this wavelength was safe and clinically effective.

Less Body Fat: 

A 2018 triple-blind, placebo-controlled trial assessed red light therapy’s effects on people doing endurance training. Researchers found pre-exercise treatment can “decrease the body fat in healthy volunteers when compared to placebo.”

Weight and Obesity Control: A study conducted by Brazilian researchers in 2015 assessed the effects of light therapy and exercise on 64 obese women, ages 20 to 40. One group exercised and received red light therapy treatments, while the control group just exercised. They concluded that red light therapy and exercise together were more effective than just exercise in reducing fat mass.

The Truth About Why You Need Fats In your Diet

The Truth About Why You Need Fats In your Diet

Difference Between Healthy and Unhealthy Fats

In looking for a healthy diet, you are probably not thinking about the daily intake of fats that you will include. Fats tend to be viewed as the villain of a healthy lifestyle, to be reduced and avoided at all costs. The truth about fats, however, does not measure up to all the bad press it has gotten. In fact, you need some fat in your diet so that your body can do important things like absorb vitamins, clot blood and move muscles.  The key is understanding which are the bad fats, which are the good fats and which are the great fats.

Bad Fats (Unhealthy Fats)

Saturated fat is a type of fat that can increase your LDL cholesterol level (the bad cholesterol) and, ultimately, contribute to heart disease. Saturated fats are found in foods like butter, red meat, cheese and whole milk. A small amount of saturated fats is unlikely to have damaging effects but experts recommend that your consumption of saturated fat be no more than 10% of your total daily calories.

Good Fats (Healthy Fats)

Mono-saturated fats have actually been found to lower LDL cholesterol, thereby contributing to lower risk of stroke and heart disease. These are the fats that keep your body running at optimal performance. Mono-saturated fats found in healthy oils also provide vitamin E which is an antioxidant needed to protect the body’s cells from damage. Mono-saturated fats are found in food like unsalted nuts such as almonds and cashews, avocado and plant or seed based oils such as olive oil, canola oil or peanut oil.

Great Fats

Poly-saturated fats do all the wonderful things that mono-saturated fats do, with some added bonuses. Poly-saturated fats are considered essential fats. This means that your body requires them to function properly but your body cannot make them on its own.

These fats lower LDL cholesterol, as well as triglycerides, which can thicken the artery walls and lead to heart disease. They have also been found to reduce inflammation and result in the use of less medication in the pain management of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Poly-saturated fats included Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids. It can be found in food such as walnuts, flax seeds, safflower oil and corn oil. Poly-saturated fats are also found in fish such as salmon, tuna and trout.

How Much Fat Do You Need?

 It is recommended that fats make up 25% to 30% of your total daily calories. While there is no specific recommendation of how much good (mono-saturated) and great (poly-saturated) fat should be included in a healthy diet, it is safe to say that replacing saturated fat with these healthy fats will have a positive effect on your body functioning and overall heart health.

Common Factors That Impact Injury Recovery Time

Common Factors That Impact Injury Recovery Time

Recovering from an injury can be a frustrating experience, especially if recovery is limiting your mobility. There are various factors that can impact how well or how fast you might recover from an injury and knowing what they are can increase your chance of feeling better faster. 

Common Factors That Impact Injury Recovery

  • Pushing yourself physically: Depending on the injury in question, you can slow your recovery if you are doing too much with the injured part of your body too quickly. For example, if you have sustained a leg injury, pushing yourself to walk on it before you are ready can compromise your recovery significantly. It is important to follow the instructions of your medical provider when it comes to how much you can do after an injury and when you can do it. You should also listen to your body and if you are in pain or feel too uncomfortable while engaging in physical activity, you might be doing too much too fast. This kind of overexertion can significantly set you back in the recovery process. 
  • Expending too much energy too soon: Expending too much energy too soon can also compromise your recovery. Rest is important during recovery even from the seemingly smallest of injuries. It is the way that your body heals. If you expend too much energy too soon, then your body cannot regenerate energy effectively to heal the injury in question. Therefore, energy conservation should be a priority as you recover from an injury of any kind.
  • Poor nutrition: Poor nutrition and lack of hydration can also compromise healing from an injury. This is similar to the body’s need for rest in that it operates more effectively when you are taking care of it. If you are not eating properly, then your body’s systems are not firing on all cylinders and you are likely to heal much more slowly than you otherwise might. 
  • Improper medication management: Improper medication management is also a common reason for healing slowly from an injury. Taking too little or too much of any medication provided for an injury can derail your healing. This is the reason it is imperative to take any medications prescribed for healing exactly as directed and check in with your healthcare provider often to determine how effective any medication might be as you recover.

Supplemental Assistance

While the speed of your recovery is important, so is the efficacy of it. The last thing you want is for an injury to heal improperly or cause issues elsewhere in the body. This is the reason that supplemental assistance during the healing process can make a huge difference in your physical outcome. 

Chiropractic care, physical therapy and other forms of supplemental assistance can help tremendously during the healing process to both help you recover faster and better. 

If you are frustrated with the speed of your recovery or just want to know how to make lifestyle changes that can help, reach out to Amazing Life Chiropractic to learn more.