How Heavy is that Backpack?

Bottom Line: Even though an iPad can store an entire library worth of books, most kids still trudge to and from school each day carrying an oversized and overweight backpack filled with heavy textbooks. While it may not seem like a big deal, recent studies have shown that carrying the weight of a typical backpack is one of the top reasons for kids to have back pain. Why it Matters:  A vast majority of kids …

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The Brain + Spine Connection

Bottom Line: Every thought and movement in your life occurs through your brain and spinal cord, which is collectively known as the central nervous system. Your spinal column acts as the armor and pathway for your spinal cord to travel down and split into the nerves that reach every cell of your body. Every moment and millions of messages and bits of information are moving along your spinal cord this very moment to maintain the …

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Disc Issues and Chiropractic

Bottom Line: Disc herniations, bulges, protrusions and extrusions are some of the most common reasons people visit a Chiropractic practice. Come to think of it, most people visit a Chiropractor not just because they have a disc issue, but because the disc issue has caused a significant impact on their quality of life. Exciting new research showcases what we have witnessed for years: how Chiropractic care provides outstanding results for people dealing with spinal disc …

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Facet Joints: Gliding Your Way to Better Health

Bottom Line: If you’ve had neck or back pain that you could pinpoint with your finger, or experienced sharp pains when you move, it may be related to the facet joints of your spine. It’s easy to think of your facet joints like the “knuckles” of your spine. They are small joints and have a capsule and cartilage pad that glides and slides, allowing your spine to move. Why it Matters: As you go through …

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The Bowling Ball and the Pin: How Poor Posture Causes Neck Pain

Bottom Line: The average human head weighs about 8 pounds. Each day we all walk around with a bowling ball (our head) balancing on a toothpick (our neck). We are designed this way to allow for the full range of motion we all know and love. Even under the best circumstances, this places a lot of stress on our spine. But leaning forward even just 15 degrees pushes that weight up to 30 pounds, and …

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Taking Control of Your Health: Slowing Down the Degenerative Process

Bottom Line: The dreaded degenerative disc disease. Well, it may not be so dreaded after all. You may be surprised to learn that degenerative disc disease is a part of the normal aging process. As we age, our discs lose some of their water content and become less supple. This makes them appears darker on an MRI. And when they appear darker on MRI, you guessed it; they are labeled as degenerative. Why it Matters: …

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Your Arm Pain Could Be a Neck Problem

Bottom Line: Pain in your hand, wrist, or arm can be frustrating. You don’t realize how much you use your arms and hands each second of the day until pain, numbness, or tingling gets in the way. But, getting rid of the pain may be easier than you think. Why it Matters: Hand, wrist, and arm pain often starts with a neck problem. When a spinal disc in your neck irritates or presses on a …

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Is Your Cell Phone Causing Tech Neck?

Bottom Line: Staying connected to friends and family is easier than ever with social media. The tradeoff is that your daily screen time may be 1, 2, 3 hours or more. And let’s face it, a lot of those hours online are spent in an awkward forward head posture that experts have begun to call “tech neck.” It can result in neck pain, headaches, spinal disc issues, and even pinched nerves. Why it Matters: Each …

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Dynamic Stretching: A New Way to Feel Better

Bottom Line: You’ve probably been told many times that you should stretch before and after a workout. Most people never do because static stretching is boring and takes so much extra time at the gym. However, there is a way to combine stretching with your workout. It’s called dynamic stretching, and not only is it more fun, but researchers have discovered it’s more effective at reducing injuries and increasing range of motion than static stretching …

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Tape: All Hype or Scientifically Sound?

Bottom Line: It’s difficult to find a single sporting event where you won’t see an athlete wearing colorful tape somewhere on their body. You may have wondered what it is, and more importantly what it’s used for. The tape is called kinesio tape and was initially developed by a Chiropractor about 40 years ago. It works by stimulating proprioception, which is the medical term for knowing where your body is in space. Why it Matters: …

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