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Lower Back Exercises & How They will Improve your Daily Life

Lower Back Exercise Tips - chicago chiro

Lower Back Exercise Tips

Over the decades, we have seen a considerable increase in chronic lower back pain in the U.S. According to the ACA(American Chiropractic Association), about 31 million Americans experience back pain at any given time. This recent increase has moved chronic lower back pain to be one of the leading causes of disability in the U.S, and with back pain comes medical bills, missed work, and difficulty performing daily tasks.

Though chronic lower back pain is high, most common cases affect mechanical issues like the way the body moves and operates. In these types of lower back pain cases, lower back exercises such as strengthening and stretching will drastically reduce pain and discomfort in the lower back.

Though many lower back exercises can relieve pain, diagnosing the cause and letting Advanced Spine and Sports Care provide a personalized treatment plan for you is the best way to deliver ease from discomfort.

What Causes Back Pain?

 

upper & lower back pain treatment specialists in Chicago

The back provides you with stability throughout your life, but underneath the service, it comprises a complex structure of bones, ligaments, muscles, and joints. You may think that back pain is only caused by strenuous activities like suffering an injury playing a sport, but actually, some of the simplest of movements like picking up an object off the floor can lead to painful consequences.

Other common causes of lower back pain can also include:

  • Arthritis
  • Poor posture
  • Obesity
  • Stress
  • Heavy lifting

Interesting Facts About Lower Back Pain

Interesting Facts About Lower Back Pain - Chicago Chiropractic Sports Care Treatments

  • Back pain is one of the most common reasons for lost wages and missed work.
  • Experts estimate that up to 80% of the population experience back pain at some time in their lives.
  • A common misconception is that many people who suffer from back pain are the elderly, but in reality, all ages are susceptible to it.
  • Most cases of back pain are not caused by serious conditions.
  • Chiropractor care is recommended for those suffering from lower back pain because the treatment reduces the chance of reoccurrence.
  • More than $100 billion dollars are lost by Americans due to lower back pain.

Tips to Prevent Lower Back Pain

Preventing back pain should be everybody’s top priority, and with the help of the incredible team of Advanced Spine and Sports Care, we boast a wide variety of tips that can keep you from suffering in agony and allow you to continue living your life happy, healthy, and free of lower back discomfort. Here are a few tricks that can help:

  • Eat healthily
  • Safely complete daily exercises
  • Don’t spend too much time resting in one place; get up and move around every little bit.
  • Don’t slouch; a proper posture is crucial.
  • Wear well-fitted shoes.
  • Choose a mattress that is both firm and comfortable
  • If you find yourself lifting objects, ensure that you lift with your knees.
  • Reduce your amount of smoking and alcohol intake.
  • Come to Advanced Spine and Sports Care so that we can develop a personalized plan tailored to your needs.

Do you Have Upper or Lower Back Pain? Here is How to Identify it

There are three classifications of back pain; acute, subacute, and chronic back pain.

  • Acute back pain lasts less than 6 weeks and can be caused by small to medium personal accidents.
  • Subacute back pain lasts anywhere between 6 weeks and 3 months; the cause is more traumatic experiences.
  • Chronic back pain lasts more than 3 months. It can either be continuous or off and on. The cause can both be small and severe.

If you are experiencing any kind of back pain and or discomfort, no matter the cause, seek chiropractic advice right away with Advanced Spine and Sports Care; our team of professionals will help you get back on your feet!

Lower Back Exercise Progressions – Helping Our Patients In Every Way Possible

lower back pain exercises to treat lower back pain

To keep on providing our patients with the best back pain care in Chicagoland, we remain a strong social media presence to assist all types of injuries. Recently we have been performing lower back exercise progressions to help support the natural curvature of the lumbar spine. Excessive sitting & slouching will compromise your posture & can lead to a loss of curvature to the lumbar spine. When this happens, it can lead to numerous different ailments including; spinal degeneration, disc bulges and herniations, sciatica and more. So on week one we will take a gentle approach by simply pushing the torso up off the floor to put the lumbar spine into extension.

One should think about pushing up slowly until their range of motion is met (no sharp pain or discomfort) & then slowly return to the floor. To create an arch in the lower back, be sure to think about raising your chest up as you push, this will promote more curvature in the spine. Over time the lower back should loosen up and range of motion should improve.Perform these daily (preferably first thing in the morning) for 15-30 reps for the best results. Be sure to check in weekly as we continue our series of exercise progressions for the lower back.

 

Important Health & Safety Message from Dr. Ingham

Your Health & Safety is Priority #1

Unfortunately, back pain and emergencies do not just take a break because of the global pandemic. Our team is doing whatever we can to continue providing the care and support that our clients need, especially right now. These are not easy times and we promise all of our past, current, and future clients that we are doing what we can to continue providing our services! At Advanced Spine & Sports Care, YOU are our number one priority.

We are Open at Advanced Spine & Sports Care: An Essential Business

The COVID-19 crisis has left government officials adequating certain businesses as essential and non-essential, because of the services that we provide and the importance of chiropractic treatment services and the relief that it gives for those suffering from chronic back pain, we have been officially considered as an essential service.

The governor of Illinois has recognized the importance of the chiropractic services that we provide and has asked us to stay open to continue providing relief care to those in need of it. Because of the current pandemic, we have made a few adjustments in the way that we provide our services, but we are continuing the same care and making sure that each and every one of our customers who walk through our doors receives a specialized experience in which they leave feeling happy, pain-free, and healthy!

Keeping You Safe

Dr. Ingham here introducing our updated safety procedures in response to covid-19. We have put together a safety…

Posted by Advanced Spine & Sports Care on Monday, May 18, 2020

To continue providing you with a fast and easy experience, we are constantly uploading information to our Facebook page. This includes information on our hours of operation, latest news, and information regarding our services. We have put together a safety committee within the office to make sure your experience at Advanced Spine & Sports Care is both safe and enjoyable. Outlined below are a few key changes that have been made within the office:

  • Face coverings are required.
  • Patients are being pre-screened before coming in the office. If you have experienced any fever, cough, or shortness of breath please refrain from coming into the office.
  • Patients are being scheduled in a staggered fashion to prevent too many people in the office at one time. We ask that you please come at your scheduled appointment time to avoid any overcrowding.

Our Team at Advanced Spine & Sports Care are taking every precaution that we can to ensure the safety and health of our clients and our staff! That is why we have developed a schedule that limits the number of clients we have per day. This has been done to continue practicing social distancing and to make our clients feel more comfortable without any worries.

 

Not only are we asking you to wear masks, but our doctors & staff will always be practicing every health measure to ensure your health. That includes constant hand washing, the use of antibacterial gel, and the use of masks. These practices will be used while serving each of our clients, especially with those that have procedures and in situations where the six-foot rule cannot be maintained.

We also ask that anyone who makes an appointment with us to wear a face-covering mask during your appointment. We want to continue giving you the services that you need, so by everyone practicing a few precautionary techniques, we can all remain healthy while providing those in need with relief.

Contact Advanced Spine & Sports Care – We Are Always Here For You

chiropractic adjustments in Chicago

At this time, we are working to keep in touch with you through our social media channels and through direct communications with positive messages, uplifting stories of hope & gratitude, and inspiration to keep on moving forward despite everything that is going on!

You can rely on Advanced Spine & Sports Care to continue giving you the chiropractic care you need, whether you are in the clinic or in your home, we are always here! 📲 If you have any questions, call our office or book an appointment, HERE.

There is nothing we want more than for all of those to continue being healthy and safe. For all of your chiropractic needs; you can rely on us here at Advanced Spine and Sports Care.

 

 

 

 

 

Discover Ways to Maintain a Healthy Mind & Body at Home

alternative health tips - Chicago Chiro Care

Tips for Maintaining a Healthy Mind & Body 

As the Coronavirus pandemic, unfortunately, leaves many people staying at home, it can be easy to forget some of the essential things that we should be doing to keep our bodies healthy and in shape. At Advanced Spine & Sports Care, our team never stops making sure that our past, current, and future patients get the advice and service that they need. From healthy beverage tutorials to home exercises, keep reading to discover what we are constantly preparing for you so that you can keep on taking care of your well-being!

Delicious Immune Boosters with Dr. Ingham

Miss out on your favorite smoothie or juice spot? Well, what if we told you that there is a better and healthier way to boost your immune system and get the essential nutrients and vitamins that you need.

Dr. Jason Ingham - Immune Boosting Tips - Chicago Chiropractor

Say goodbye to artificial sugars and ingredients and know exactly what you are putting into your body with a delicious and healthy Advanced Spine & Sports Care smoothie special, “the Chiro Bananza.”

Ingredients

➢Spinach 🍃

➢Flaxseed

➢Frozen banana 🍌

➢ Blueberries 

➢Citrus of your choice 🍊

After adding all of the ingredients in a blender and mixing them all together, you will get a green liquid. Don’t be afraid of the color; it is absolutely delicious! This smoothing is full of essential nutrients, vitamin C, and iron, perfect to start your day on the right foot while giving a strong boost to your immune system!

Check out Dr. Ingham’s smoothing tutorial, HERE. Give a like and stay tuned on the Advanced Spine & Sports Care Facebook Page for more tutorials to come in the upcoming weeks.

At Home Exercises Tips for Mind & Body Health

Being at home and not able to go to the gym shouldn’t stop you from keeping up with your daily exercise routines. Whether it be a heavy home workout or a full-body stretch to relieve some tension and stress that may be building up, it is essential to follow out daily exercises to keep your body and mind in shape.

Our team at Advanced Spine & Sports Care is constantly uploading exercises and stretches to our social media channels via FacebookYouTube so that our clients can continue to focus on their health using their surroundings and objects easily found around the house. Here are a few tutorials:

Unilateral Squat Complex with 3 Toe Taps

Targeted Area: Unilateral foot, ankle, and knee stability.

Benefits: Increased stability in the joints while promoting structural stability.

 

Stability Ball Rollouts

Targeted Area: Core

Necessary Equipment: Yoga mat and inflatable exercise ball

Benefits: Stronger core while promoting a healthier spine

“Flossing” the Sciatic Nerve

Targeted Area: Sciatic Nerve

Benefits: Relieving tension off of the Sciatic Nerve and helping those suffering from sciatica be more comfortable.

Exercise of the Week – Unilateral Sciatic Nerve Flossing

Sciatica affects a lot of people these days & all this sitting while binge watching seasons of your favorite shows on Netflix isn't helping! 👩‍💻📺 When the muscles surrounding the lumbar spine & gluteals get tight, its common that the sciatic nerve can get caught or pinched. This then causes sciatica which can elicit discomfort in the lower back, gluteals & even all the way down the legs & into the feet! 👣✅ One exercise we can try to help relieve some tension is to "floss" the sciatic nerve. This exercise is not a comfortable one but can be used & help the nerve glide a littler easier. ✅ But this exercise of eliminate sciatica alone, we must also perform the correct hip movements to help get the tension of the nerve. Overtime though, this drill can be used as a test to see if range of motion is improving. ✅ Ideal range of motion for this exercise will have the lower back pressed up against the wall with the leg held straight. As you can see in the video, I don't have the mobility to press my lower back against the wall so more flexibility work must be done.✅ If you are or have dealt with sciatica before we highly recommend adding this to your daily routine to help relieve or prevent these symptoms from progressing to even bigger issues.#ThinkChiropractic #getadjusted #physicaltherapy #health

Posted by Advanced Spine & Sports Care on Sunday, March 15, 2020

These are just a small example of the endless stretching and exercise videos that you can access for free on our social media channels. See our exercises of the week on our Facebook Page to accompany our video series on our YouTube Channel.

The True Power of Chiropractic: Unlock Your Body’s Natural Ability to Adapt, Renew, and Restore

"True Power of Chiropactic" - Dr. Jason Ingham

Another activity you can participate in during your time at home is exercising the mind. If you are suffering from pain every day and are in search for clear answers without having to rely on medication, our very own Dr. Ingham has released a new book that brings clarity to chiropractic care.

The True Power of Chiropractic: Unlock Your Body’s Natural Ability to Adapt, Renew, and Restore” provides first-hand professional insight on how a visit to the chiropractic can improve your everyday life. (Available on Amazon, HERE)

 

Staying Strong And Healthy Together

Through these unprecedented times, we need each other. At Advanced Spine & Sports Care, we believe that it is our duty to continue serving the greater Chicago area in every way that we can. Your health doesn’t take a break while you stay at home; you can count on our team to stop at nothing to attend to each one of our clients. For any questions or inquiries, contact us here. Remember, your well-being comes first, so stay tuned for more tips, tricks, and tutorials from our team at Advanced Spine & Sports Care.

Tips for Managing Tension Headaches

Managing Tension Headaches - Chicago Chiro Tips

Managing Tension Headaches

Your day to day routine and everything it involves is extremely important; whether it be looking after the kids, going to work, shopping, or visiting with family and friends, it can be frustrating when something like a headache can disrupt all of your plans. How you think, and the clarity of how you perform activities can be severely affected by tension headaches, and you should know all of the things you can do to fight back against these unwanted visitors!

What Are Tension Headaches

The most common type headache for adults, tension headaches can be classified as a nagging pain, pressure, or tightness around the forehead or back of your head/neck. Stress headaches, another name for tension headaches, can feel like something is squeezing the skull. There are two types of tension headaches.

Episodic tension headaches: Occur less than 15 days per month, they can last anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple of days, these usually start slowly, taking into full swing around midday.

Chronic Tension headaches

Occurring usually more than 15 days per month, these headaches come and go over an extended period of time, the range in discomfort always varying throughout the day.

Knowing The Difference

Cervicogenic Headaches can often be mistaken for migraines and tension headaches because of the same symptoms they bring out. Cervicogenic headaches are described as secondary headaches, meaning that they are caused by underlying conditions such as high blood pressure, neck injuries, and infections. It is very important to separate these from being treated as tension headaches, as they require different treatments! Contact the experts at Advanced Spine & Sports Care and get adequately diagnosed and start receiving the right treatment.

How Tension Headaches Usually Happen

Tension Headaches Info

You may be wondering how these annoying and painful headaches come to be, though there is a long list of factors, here are a few of the most common causes of tension headaches:

Screen Time

Whether it is looking down at your phone, playing video games, watching TV, or staring at your computer screen at work, the amount of time that you are staring at the light can increase your risk of developing tension headaches.

Excessive Amounts Of Time On The Road

If you find yourself driving long distances and spending a lot of time behind the wheel, this can put a lot of stress on your neck, causing the occurrence of these headaches.

Sleeping In The Wrong Position

We all have our favorite sleeping position, but little do you know is that it can actually bring on tension headaches. Most commonly sleeping on your stomach can do the trick to inviting this unwanted company, so we suggest rolling over before you close your eyes!

Clenching Your Teeth

Though it usually takes place at night, the pressure that clenching your jaw brings on can often cause tension headaches, if you find yourself frequently clenching your jaw, see a dentist to check treatment options.

Reducing The Pain On Your Own

Usually, we want to try and reduce the anguish as much as we can if not entirely before seeking out professional help, luckily there are a few things you can do!

  • Try to reduce any overbearing stresses that you have in your life, take a breath, and relax!
  • Breaks are essential. If you are spending a lot of time focusing on something, phone, computer, driving, etc., wherever it may be, take breaks so you can regain focus!
  • Exercise! Stretching and going to the gym is critical to avoiding tension headaches. A healthy boy = a healthy mind!
  • Over the counter medicine. One of the most common headache remedies is ibuprofen, if it works for you, keep using it!

Seeking Extra Help: Utilizing The Aid of Chiropractors

Sometimes no matter what you do on your own, tension headaches never seem to go away, and at this time, you need to call the experts!

If you are reading this and thinking, “what can a chiropractor do for headaches” the answer is, A LOT! Chiropractors are medical professionals who can assess precisely why you are suffering from these pains, diagnose you, and help you start to manage them! Standard practices that chiropractors use to reduce and eliminate the discomfort of tension headaches consist of:

  • Manual therapy
  • Soft tissue therapy
  • Electrical stimulation
  • Acupuncture
  • Rehabilitation
  • Lifestyle changes and education

It’s best to call the experts for quick ache relief, so that you can go back to living your life and not let tension headaches slow you down!

Advanced Spine & Sports Care: Getting The Relief You Deserve in Chicago

Don’t let tension headaches take over your life, fight back, and get the help you need! By contacting the professionals at Advanced Spine & Sports Care, you will receive a personalized experience where highly trained chiropractors will stop at nothing until you are back to your usual self! Book an appointment online or call 1 773-868-0347 to start your journey to a pain-free future!

Proper Posture Tips – Practice Makes Perfect

 

Proper Posture Tips

Posture is very simply the position that you hold your body in when you stand, sit and lay down. There’s a proper way to hold your body and a lot of improper ways to hold it, with a big difference in what each way can mean for your body.

Good posture stops your muscles wearing abnormally, keeps your ligaments free of stress and makes your muscles work efficiently, so your energy goes a lot further. Poor posture comes with none of these benefits; it puts strain on your ligaments and muscles and can cause a host of medical complications, ranging from high blood pressure to spinal dysfunction.

The good news?

Poor posture can be the result of injuries and disease but very often it’s a habit, which means that with a little hard work and plenty of practice, you can improve it!

Here are our top seven tips proper posture tips that’ll help you to make positive changes to your posture straight away:

Tip One: Reduce Factors that Cause Poor Posture

You can’t eliminate every cause of poor posture, but you may be surprised to discover what kind of simple actions and small habits contribute to its development.

Here are some of the most common things that cause poor posture:

  • Obesity

  • Stress

  • High-heeled shoes

  • Tight clothing

  • Keeping your wallet in your back pocket (and sitting on it)

  • Carrying heavy bags

  • Wearing worn shoes

  • Bad eating habits

  • Wearing an ill-fitting bra

Many of these contributory factors are easy to eliminate from your life, making them a great place to start when improving your posture.

Tip Two: Learn How to Stand Correctly

Proper Posture Tips - Chicago Chiro Clinic on Belmont

Investing in more supportive shoes and switching your wallet to your front pocket may help to improve your posture, but you also need to make bigger changes if you want to see great results. One of the best tips to improve your posture is to relearn how to stand.

To stand correctly, your knees should be slightly bent, stomach tucked in, and earlobes aligned with your shoulders. Your back should be straight, and your shoulders pushed back, with your feet separated by roughly the width of your shoulders. Finally, your arms should hang loosely at your side and your weight should be mostly on the balls of your feet.

Changing how you stand is no easy task; you’ll have to consciously switch your standing position to something entirely new, but it’ll all be worth it in the end when the health of your bones, joints, muscles and ligaments improve.

Tip Three: Improve Your Sleeping Habits

Next is your sleeping position and sleeping environment, two things that can have a big impact on your posture and overall health. One of the most important things here is comfort: you should be as comfortable as possible while you sleep.

You should try to sleep on your side or back and always with a pillow. Specialist posture pillows are a great investment, but you can also improve your posture by sleeping with a pillow placed below your knees (when sleeping on your back) or placed between your legs (when sleeping on your side). For an even more beneficial night’s sleep, invest in a firm, comfortable mattress.

 

Tip Four: Get Your Sitting Position Right

Once you’ve nailed the right position for sleeping and walking, you’ll need to relearn how to sit. Sitting in the proper position is essential if you spend hours working at a desk every day, regularly slump, or are prone to slouching – something you should definitely try to avoid if you want your lungs and intestines to work properly!

To start:

  •  Your feet should be placed on a solid surface, your legs uncrossed, and a slight gap left between your knees & seat.
  • Make sure your knees aren’t above your hips and your shoulders are relaxed with your arms positioned parallel with the floor.
  • Ensure that your chair is providing ample support for your lower and middle back.

When driving, you can continue the healthy posture changes by moving your seat closer to the wheel, slightly bending your knees and supporting your back with a cushion for extra comfort and support.

If you find yourself sitting for long periods of time during the day, try to get up and move around every now and again.

See Here 3 amazing reasons to book regular appointments with a chiropractor if you spend most of your working day sitting down.

Tip Five: Change How You Hold Your Phone

Do you often stare down at your phone when sending texts, browsing the internet or playing games? If so, you could be suffering from a problem known as ‘text neck’. Tilting your head down to look at your phone is terrible for your spine, but thankfully, easy to resolve.

You can correct this poor posture problem simply by lifting your phone up to your face or moving your eyes instead of your neck. If you lean forward while using a computer, then the results can be similar, so it’s worth spending a bit of time rearranging your desk!

Tip Six: Correct Posture Mistakes Quickly

You shouldn’t feel bad if you can’t master these new positions overnight, it’ll take time. To give you the best chance of success, try to stay conscious of what you should be doing, so you can correct yourself when you fall back into old habits.

If you find yourself putting most of your weight on one leg, slouching in your chair, hunching over your phone, sticking your chin out, resting your phone between your ear and shoulder or in any position that’s not healthy for your muscles and ligaments, correct your posture as quickly as possible.

The more you practice, the easier it’ll be!

Tip Seven: Visit Advanced Spine & Sports Care in Chicago

Our final tip is essential if you’re struggling to find a starting point to correct your posture or you aren’t having much luck going it alone. A chiropractor is one of the best medical professionals to visit for support and guidance as you improve your posture.

A chiropractor can give you tips and tricks for improving your posture, help you to strengthen key muscles with special exercises – building muscle flexibility is vital for maintaining good posture! – and customize a treatment plan to give you the best start to your posture improvement. Chiropractic care is also highly beneficial for reversing years of wear, tear and injuries that can occur due to poor posture!

If you’re tired of poor posture affecting your health, then there’s no time like the present to turn things around. Enlist some expert help from Advanced Spine & Sports Care and start making posture improvements that’ll benefit you for the rest of your life.

 

 

 

Tips to Help You Avoid or Address the Causes of Neck Pain

Neck Pain Treatment in chicago - Chiropractic Treatment Services

Common Causes of Neck Pain

Neck pain is a very common complaint with a vast number of causes. From bad posture, injuries, and wear and tear, to arthritis, stress, and poor muscle strength, there are a number of reasons why your neck may be causing you bother.

If you regularly wake up with a stiff neck or you suffer from a persistent pain in your neck, then there’s often something you can do about it! Here are seven tips to help you avoid or address the causes of neck pain:

Neck Pain – Tip One: Adjust Your Sleeping Position

If you sleep on your side or back, then you can jump ahead to the next tip, but if you’re a stomach sleeper, then it may be time to try a new position.

When you sleep on your stomach, the neck is forced to the side, causing pressure on the nerves. Sleeping in this position can result in neck pain when you wake up each morning.

Adjusting your sleeping position can be difficult, especially if you’ve been sleeping on your stomach for most of your life. However, for better neck health and less pain, it can be worth it!

Neck Pain – Tip Two: Change Your Pillows

The pain in your neck could be caused by something as simple as the type of pillow you use! Changing your pillows to better support your neck is one of the easiest ways to reduce and prevent neck pain.

If you sleep on your back, combining a rounded pillow for the neck with a flatter pillow for the head is a great way to support your neck during the night.

If you sleep on your side, it’s important to make sure that your pillow/pillows aren’t too high, as otherwise your neck and head will bend unnaturally, causing the neck to become flexed.

You should always make sure that the positioning of your pillows feels comfortable. Try investing in an ergonomic pillow or purchasing a feather or memory foam pillow, which will accommodate the curve of your neck.

Neck Pain – Tip Three: Work on Your Posture

A poor posture can cause a number of problems with your spine, including neck pain. If you don’t have a good posture then you could be straining the ligaments and muscles in your neck, which can eventually lead to an injury.

A particularly bad posture for the neck is when you slant your head forward, so it sits just in front of the shoulders. If your head is positioned in front of your shoulders, then it adds extra force to the muscles in your neck.

Keep an eye on your posture during the day, and if it faulters, adjust your position to prevent neck strain. You can avoid staying in a bad position by getting up and moving around at regular intervals throughout the day.

Neck Pain – Tip Four: Make Improvements to Your Work Environment

If you’re spending a large part of everyday working at a desk, then it’s vital to make sure that the environment is healthy for your neck and the rest of your spine. If you keep your neck in a bad position for prolonged periods, every single day, then it’s likely that you’ll begin to suffer from neck pain.

To create a healthy working environment, firstly make sure that you position your computer monitor so that your eyes fall naturally on the top third of the screen. It’s also important to sit up straight and make sure that you support your back throughout the day.

Taking regular breaks every 30 minutes or so to stand up and stretch will help you to reduce pain in your neck and back. As you work, it’s important to stay hydrated. Drinking enough water will help to keep the discs in your neck strong and flexible, as they’re mostly comprised of water. If you regularly forget to drink during the day, try setting an alarm.

Neck Pain – Tip Five: Change the Way You Use Your Phone

Bending your neck to stare down at your phone can add stress to the ligaments and joints, ultimately causing a lot of damage to your neck. Using your phone less during the day will help you to prevent neck pain. Another way to limit neck stress is to lift your phone up when you’re looking at it; this will help your neck to stay properly aligned.

If you regularly talk on the phone, then switching to a headset will further help to reduce pain. Instead of holding the phone to the side of your head and bending your neck, a headset will allow you to keep your neck straight.

Neck Pain – Tip Six: Distribute Weight Evenly

It’s easy to get into the habit of carrying your bag, purse, or briefcase on one side of your body, but it’s very important to try and even out the load. Creating an even weight distribution between both sides of your body will prevent muscle strain in your neck.

Carrying two bags can be impractical, so try switching your normal bag to a backpack, which naturally distributes the weight on your shoulders. To further lower the potential of neck strain, try to keep your shoulders level and reduce the amount of weight that you carry around.

When carrying heavy shopping bags, try to make sure that the bags in each hand are close to an even weight.

Neck Pain – Tip Seven: Visit a Chiropractor

One of the best ways to avoid and address the causes of neck pain is to book an appointment at Advanced Spine and Sports Care. Chiropractic neck adjustments will loosen the joints in your neck and alleviate the pain.

A chiropractor will be able to bring the vertebrae in your neck into the correct alignment, addressing a number of common causes of neck pain, like muscle spasms and pinched nerves. Chiropractic treatments can help to restore motion in your neck and improve overall spine mobility. You’ll also be able to get advice on posture and sleeping habits, as well as the correct sitting position and neck exercises from the professional Chicago Chiropractors at Advanced Spine and Sports Care.

As our top tips demonstrate, there are many ways to improve the health of your neck! Implementing some or all of our top tips should help you to reduce and prevent neck pain in the future.

Healthy Ways to Reduce Tension & Stress

Exercise for stress relief - healthy tips - blog

 

Experiencing a small amount of stress on a regular basis can be very beneficial for the mind and body. Healthy doses of stress can help you to be more productive, reach optimum levels of performance, increase your memory, and trigger the fight-or-flight response in dangerous situations. Stress isn’t always bad, but there’s a big difference between good stress & harmful stress.

Harmful stress can impact your thoughts, alter the way you behave, and negatively affect your body. Too much stress or the wrong kinds of stress can also lead to numerous health problems, such as depression, heart disease, and lack of energy. Experiencing regular or high levels of stress can impact your life day-to-day, especially if you’re also feeling tension.

Tension can produce feelings of mental and emotional strain, with stress & anxiety often being common symptoms in people who feel tense on a regular basis. Experiencing tension can lead to muscle aches, lack of productivity, poor cognitive ability & pain. Like stress, it’s important to treat tension quickly to make sure that it doesn’t continue to negatively impact your life.

If you’re experiencing tension or stress on a regular basis, then there are a number of effective treatments that you can consider. Here are four examples of common and healthy ways to reduce stress and tension in your life:

 

Meditation

meditation for stress relief - healthy ways to reduce stress - blog

Meditation is a prehistoric practice that people have used for thousands of years, historically in a religious context, but today it’s most commonly used for relaxation and stress relief. It’s believed that meditation can relax the mind and restore a feeling of calmness and peace that can reduce the stress of everyday life and promote excellent emotional and mental well-being.

The benefits of meditation come in many forms, often surrounding a reduction of stress, anxiety, tension, and emotional over-stimulation. Practicing meditation improves self-awareness, gives you a refreshed perspective on sources of stress and helps you to manage stress in a more productive manner. In some instances, meditation can also help people to manage health conditions, such as depression, heart disease, tension headaches and anxiety.

There’s no single form of meditation; you can be still during meditation or active. The Chinese martial art, Tai Chi, is an active form of meditation where you practice deep breathing and perform different postures at your own pace. Mantra meditation, on the other hand, requires the participant to mentally repeat a meaningful word and ignore other distracting thoughts. Meditation is very unique to the individual and attending meditation workshops can be a beneficial way to learn how to meditate effectively to reduce stress and tension.

Exercise

reduce stress and tension with exercise

Exercise is an important part of leading a healthy lifestyle and maintaining a healthy body, but it also plays an essential role in establishing a healthy mind. Different exercises can be used as a technique to cope with and manage tension, as well as situations or events that cause stress. In much the same way that stress can impact the body, the physical benefits of exercise that improve the body, can at the same time improve the mind.

Exercising produces a reaction within the body that chemically reduces levels of stress. When you exercise, endorphins are released in the body; these can improve your mood and even reduce pain. At the same time, levels of stress-related hormones in the body, like cortisol and adrenaline, are reduced. These short-term benefits of exercise and stress reduction are great for reducing stress, but the positive benefits of weight loss and improved performance can also provide long-term stress relief.

Creating a custom exercise plan is a great way to ease into regular exercise and partake in the exercises that are most beneficial for your mind and body. Combining a regular exercise routine with healthy back, neck, and spinal alignment exercises could also help you to relieve other forms of stress and tension throughout your body.

Massage Therapy

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Muscles stiffness, aches and pains can very often be a result of regular stress and tension. To ease the pain that stress can cause, massage therapy is an effective and remarkably successful treatment option. Massage targets body aches and pains but it also lifts your mood and relieves emotional strain.

It’s thought that massage can reduce the levels of cortisol in the body, which is a key stress hormone. Massage can also increase parasympathetic nervous system activity, another way to reduce stress and create a feeling of calmness.

Massaging the body can have wonderful benefits for the mind and overall emotional and mental well-being. During a massage therapy session, a number of techniques are used to reduce tension in the body and create a feeling of whole-body relaxation. By relaxing the mind and body, everyday stresses can be reduced, and a greater level of control can be gained over managing and coping with stress.

 

Regular Chiropractor Treatments in Chicago

Stress can very easily take over the body, causing mental strain to turn into physical aches and pains, and impact important parts of a healthy lifestyle, such as sleep, energy, and nutrition. The mental pressure of stress and the emotional strain of tension can both be treated through regular chiropractic treatments. Chiropractic care can relieve stress in a number of ways, sometimes through physical treatments designed to resolve the root cause of pain, and other times through ongoing treatment plans and lifestyle changes.

For common problems associated with stress and tension, like tension in the muscles, spinal adjustment and other chiropractic treatments can be highly effective. Spinal misalignment can cause problems with the nervous system, which affects how the body communicates – an unhealthy spine can cause the nervous system to have trouble coping with stress. Poor blood circulation and muscle tension can also cause other stress-related problems. Chiropractic treatments can improve blood circulation, adjust the spine, and reduce body tension to restore energy and improve health of the whole body.

Professional chiropractic treatment plans can extent from treatments designed to reduce pain, to nutrition plans, massage, exercise routines, and even help learning how to meditate effectively. By attending regular chiropractor treatments, you can address the problems associated with stress and improve your body’s natural ability to handle stress, whether it’s through learning new relaxation techniques, understanding the correct posture to reduce stress, or improving spine health for better overall health.

Stress and tension can negatively impact your life every day, but with so many treatment options out there, it’s never been easier to treat stress and the large number of symptoms.

What Is the Best Treatment for Sciatic Nerve Pain?

 

What is the Best Treatment for Sciatic Nerve Pain in Chicago | Chiropractic

Sciatic nerve pain or sciatica, is an incredibly common type of pain that experts estimate 40% of people experience at some point in their lives. This pain can be very disabling and leave one of your legs feeling weak or numb, possibly with a burning or stabbing sensation. If you have sciatic nerve pain or you think that you may be experiencing the symptoms of sciatica, then seeking treatment is one of the best things that you can do to relieve the pain sooner rather than later.

Never heard of sciatic nerve pain or want to learn more about this unique condition? Read on to discover more about the causes and the best treatment for sciatica…

What Is Sciatic Nerve Pain?

Sciatica is the name of a specific type of pain that you experience when there’s irritation to the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is located between the hips and feet and runs down the back of each leg. The location of the nerve explains why the symptoms of sciatica can involve experiencing pain in the lower back, hips, and leg.

Sciatic nerve leg pain, and pain in the hips and back, can manifest itself in many ways, including:

  • Shooting pain
  • Constant stabbing pain
  • Burning pain
  • Numbness
  • Difficulty moving
  • Weakness
  • Tingling

The symptoms of sciatic nerve pain normally only occur on one side of the body, but the experience is very different from case to case. For some people, the pain will only last for a short duration (typically 4-6 weeks) and it will only cause slight irritation. For other people, the pain will last for much longer and can be quite severe.

What Are the Causes of Sciatic Nerve Pain?

Sciatica is generally caused by some form of pressure to the sciatic nerve; the type and location of this pressure can determine the location, severity, and duration of the pain. There’s a long list of causes of sciatic nerve pain, including:

  • Degenerative Disc Disease
  • Spondylolisthesis
  • Muscle Spasms
  • Pregnancy
  • Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
  • Lumbar Subluxation
  • Lumbar Disc Herniation
  • Tumors

Sometimes, other back injuries may also cause sciatic nerve pain. While not generally a cause, the pain experienced can be worse for people that are overweight or accentuated by additional problems, such as inadequate sleeping provisions.

Common Treatment for Sciatica

As you would imagine from the many possible sciatic nerve pain causes, there are a number of treatment options. The treatment advised will largely depend on the severity of the pain and root cause, although in certain cases, like with chiropractic care, some treatments can help with multiple severities of sciatica.

Here are four common treatment options for sciatic nerve pain:

1. Sciatic Nerve Pain At-Home Treatment

At-home treatments can be very effective in treating short-term sciatic nerve pain, as well helping with the recovery process in conjunction with other treatments. Treatments and care at home can include stretching the back regularly, using heat and ice packs, and gentle exercises. If at-home treatments don’t help to reduce the pain, more substantial treatment is often advised.

2. Over-the-Counter Sciatic Nerve Pain Medication

In many cases, an over-the-counter pain medication may be suggested to alleviate the pain. This can work in conjunction with at-home treatment to cope with the pain until it subsides.

3. Chiropractic Treatment for Sciatic Nerve Pain

Chiropractic Treatment for Sciatic Nerve Pain, along with other physiotherapy treatments, are a very common suggestion for cases of sciatic nerve pain. Unlike some at-home treatments and medication, the purpose of chiropractic treatment is to address the underlying cause of the pain. Chiropractic care can include a range of treatments, such as:

  • Spinal Decompression Therapy
  • Spinal adjustments
  • Ice/cold therapy
  • Manual manipulation
  • Ultrasound Therapy
  • Physical Therapy
  • Massage Therapy
  • (TENS Unit) Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation

 

4. Complementary Sciatic Nerve Pain Treatment Options

Depending on the extent of sciatic nerve pain, further sciatica treatments may be suggested, such as:

  • Cognitive behavioral therapy
  • Acupuncture
  • Anti-inflammatory treatments
  • Lifestyle changes

(In the worst cases of sciatic nerve pain, where the pain is severe and prolonged, surgery may be an unavoidable requirement to treat the underlying cause of the pain)

What Is the Best Sciatica Treatment Option?

Each type of sciatica treatment has its own benefits, and in some cases, options like surgery may be unavoidable. Yet, for persistent sciatic nerve pain, the best sciatica treatment is often physiotherapy. In particular, chiropractic care is a highly effective physiotherapy treatment for sciatica.

Our highly skilled & advanced Sciatica Treatment Chiropractors in Chicago can help at every stage of sciatica treatment & beyond. From the initial diagnosis, to relief from pain by targeting the cause of the pain, and afterwards with preventive care., in general, chiropractic treatment is immensely well-suited to treating sciatica, as it’s focused on helping the body to heal itself through treatments that improve spinal movement.

As well as treating the cause of sciatica, a chiropractor will also be able to advise you on good practices that can prevent re-occurrences of sciatic nerve pain in the future, such as:

  • Which exercises to do at home to improve the muscles in your back
  • How to correct your posture when you’re sitting and standing
  • Which lifestyle changes to make for improved back health
  • How to properly support your back
  • How to improve your diet for optimum health

Chicago Chiropractic treatment is ideal for anyone seeking the best natural treatment for sciatic nerve pain, as it involves non-invasive procedures. The treatment plan will be customized to your exact needs and lifestyle, and you’ll receive ongoing support from a chiropractor that knows your unique medical history. As is the case with many types of back pain, and pain in other areas of the body, chiropractic care is often an effective and rewarding treatment for sciatica.

Sciatica Treatment Plans Chicago

Sciatica Nerve Pain Treatment Services in Chicago IL (Lakeview) On BelmontAre you you’re looking for chiropractic sciatica treatment in Chicago? The experienced chiropractors at Advanced Spine & Sports Care are here, ready to customize a sciatica treatment plan, that’s best for you. Our sciatica chiropractic care and physical therapy services are a natural treatment for sciatic nerve pain that can effectively reduce the pain you’re feeling and address the real cause of the problem.

Contact us today to talk with one of our excellent team about treatments for sciatica. We’ll ensure that your pain is diagnosed and treated with continued Chiropractic Care  for a healthier life now and in the future!

Lower Back Pain Treatment: Chiropractic Vs Back Surgery

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Lower Back Pain Treatment in Chicago

Instances of chronic lower back pain in America are on the rise. It’s estimated that 8 in 10 Americans will have first-hand experience with back pain. With 80% of Americans expected to experience the disabling consequences of back pain, it couldn’t be more important to understand where the best place to turn is if such a problem should occur. Two of the most popular treatment options for chronic, and sometimes moderate, back pain are chiropractic care and surgery. The treatment options are at two different ends of the spectrum of pain relief, with chiropractic care being non-invasive and surgery often being very invasive. However, in many instances, they both offer the same promise of less pain and potentially a permanent or long-term solution to back pain.

But which one is the best option for lower back pain?

Common Causes of Lower Back Pain

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Understanding the cause of lower back pain is one of the best ways to determine which treatment type will be the most effective: surgery or chiropractic care. Different injuries can lead to short-term lower back pain, which may only last for a period of a few weeks to a few months, or chronic back pain which can last considerably longer.

It’s commonly the case that a sprain or a strain, caused by a sudden movement, heavy lifting or prolonged poor posture, is the underlying cause of short-term back pain. The damage to the muscles and ligaments in the back can be incredibly painful, but the pain is unlikely to last for more than a few months.

Long-term or chronic lower back pain is often brought about by a more severe injury, and as such, the pain can be more severe and much longer lasting, sometimes requiring more to heal than just time. The injury could cause a fracture, deformity, joint dysfunction or a disc problem, amongst many other underlying issues that can bring about lower back pain.

Depending on the injury, the treatment required to alleviate the pain, and potentially heal the injury completely, will change; but who should you turn to first, a chiropractor or a surgeon?

Surgery for Lower Back Pain

There are many different types of surgical treatment available to treat all manner of lower back pain injuries. Depending on the injury that caused the lower back pain, and the advised surgical treatment, the procedure could be slightly invasive or very invasive; this can impact the recovery time after surgery. Common lower back surgeries include disc replacement and decompression.

One of the main benefits of surgical treatment is that function can often be restored when ability is severely limited due to the back pain. However, back surgery is not normally advised if the pain felt in the lower back is only moderate or if there are no visible indications of the cause of the pain.

Chiropractic Treatment for Lower Back Pain

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Chiropractic treatment is very different to surgical treatment, initially in the fact that chiropractic care is non-invasive. The option of chiropractic treatment is also available for people with minor or moderate lower back pain, as well as those with long-term chronic back pain.

Like surgery, there are a number of chiropractic treatment options available, which will differ depending on the injury that caused the lower back pain. These lower back pain treatments could include:

During a visit to a chiropractor, the pain in the lower back will be diagnosed and a specialized treatment plan will be formed that’ll help to determine the best way to relieve the pain. Unlike surgery, a chiropractic treatment plan will involve treatment that is ongoing in order to target the root cause of the problem causing the pain.

Chiropractic Treatment vs Back Surgery: Which Is Best?

When it comes to chiropractic treatment vs back surgery in Chicago, it’s difficult to determine which treatment option will be best, as both options are very different. However, in many cases, there’s a best treatment option to start with, and for a large number of people, it’s chiropractic care.

Chiropractic care can help to treat the underlining cause of lower back pain in many people, often without the further requirement to have invasive surgical treatment afterwards. As surgery is often deemed to be a last resort treatment, in part due to the longer recovery times and invasive procedures, chiropractic treatment can be the best place to start for a fast and healthy recovery.

In cases where chiropractic treatments are not effective after a pre-established treatment course, surgical alternatives can still be considered to provide a different solution to treating the condition.

Explore How Chiropractic Care in Chicago Can Help Treat Lower Back Pain

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Any uncertainties over the best treatment to alleviate pain in the lower back can often be cleared up via a consultation and examination with one of the professional chiropractors at Advanced Spine & Sports Care. If chiropractic treatment is a viable option to reduce or eliminate back pain, then your local Chicago chiropractor will be able form a personalized treatment plan for you and help you to find the best way to reduce lower back pain and restore a full range of motion.

Sports Chiropractic Care – Ways Chiropractic Can Improve Athletic Performance

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Chicago Chiropractic Sports Care

Athletic performance can be improved in a number of ways, from following a proper training regime to eating the right foods at the right times. The overall health of your body, as an athlete, will impact your performance, define your endurance, and improve your recovery times, but how can you make sure that your body is as healthy as it can be?

One way to make sure that your body is in peak condition to improve your athletic performance and excel at what you love is to visit a chiropractor. Sport Chiropractic care is a before and after treatment that can prepare your body to excel and help it to recover once you’ve put it through its paces.

 

Not sure whether sports chiropractic care is the answer that you’ve been looking for? Here are five ways it can give you the edge over your competition:

  • Preventive Health Care – Train Without Injury

Sports Chiropractic Care is not just something that’s helpful after an injury or before a competition; they are a range of treatments that can help to reduce the risk of sustaining an injury when you’re working out, competing, or just doing what you love.

By creating a treatment program with your chiropractor, you can help to target those areas that are most susceptible to injury, based on your medical history, your exercise regime, and your current level of athletic performance. Chiropractic care  for athletes is a personalized physical treatment that’s designed to prepare and improve your body by targeting areas like muscles and joints.

  • Peak Performance – Be the Best You Can Be

Injury prevention is an important part of chiropractic care, helping you to train more and test your limits with a lower risk of injury. Not only can this improve your performance, but there are other aspects of chiropractic care that can help as well.

The different chiropractic treatments can help you to further your range of motion, enhance your flexibility, and increase your overall strength. During a chiropractic treatment program, the entire function of your body will be examined, leaving no stone unturned and no injury unnoticed.

If your body is under any stress that’s limiting your athletic performance, a Sports Chiropractor can help!

  • Reduces Pain – Relax During Recovery

Ongoing pain is not conducive to a relaxing recovery. Chiropractic care targets the pain at the source, using treatment that’s directly targeted at eliminating the main problem, not just the symptoms of the problem.

The treatments available can help with a vast range of sports injuries and symptoms in an effective way, no matter the exact injury that you’ve sustained. Through spinal decompression therapy , Chiropractic adjustments,  professional massage, and the other highly beneficial chiropractic treatments, the pressure of your injury can be released and the pain relieved.

  • Optimize Recovery Time – Get Back to What You Love

From back pain and neck pain to headaches, Chiropractic treatments can be used to treat all manner of injuries and problems effectively, but not only does the treatment help to solve ailments, it can also reduce the recovery time after sports injuries.

Many Chiropractic treatments revolve around the nervous system, which plays a large role in recovery after an injury. If you’ve been injured, your chiropractor will make sure that your nerve signals are operating properly, your muscles are relaxed, and your blood is circulating correctly.

Chiropractic care for sports injuries is one of the best low-risk treatments to complement other medical treatment, speed-up your recovery, and reduce pain.

  • Less Medication – Natural Physical Recovery

One of the biggest benefits of Sports Chiropractic care is that it’s a medication-free option for treating a vast range of injuries that can impact athletic performance. This all-natural approach to healing reduces reliance on pain-relief and medications that can cause adverse effects.

Chiropractic care is also non-invasive, so puts less strain on your body. The results of treatments are often noticeable quickly and the lasting effects will benefit your performance for a long time to come.

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Gain Access to Advanced Physical Therapy and Chicago Sports Chiropractic Care

When you’re ready to take your love of athletics to the next level, visiting a Sports Chiropractor certified in Physical Therapy, should be your next move.

  • Feeling the strain after a work-out?
  • Worried that you’re not ready to compete?
  • Want non-invasive treatment for your aches and pains?

Advanced Spine & Sports Care in Chicago, IL is the answer!

Advanced Spine & Sports Care is a Chiropractic Sports Care Center that offers all the alternative health treatments that you need to keep your body healthy, boost your performance, and recover from injuries as quickly and safely as possible. If you live in the Chicagoland area, then you’re in luck when it comes to getting access to the best Sports Chiropractic care and Chicago physical therapist services around.