For most families, one of the focal points of back-to-school time is picking out the perfect backpack. While the kids focus on the aesthetics – the colors, amount of zippers, and extras that come with it – it’s your responsibility as a parent to focus on the function. The average McGraw-Hill standard textbook weighs 3-4 lbs. across age groups of students. Combine 4 to 7 of those textbooks with other supplies like notebooks, pencils, and a calculator and your child’s backpack is suddenly a heavy load to bear. If you have a student-athlete, you can expect additional weight added by a duffel bag of sports equipment and practice clothes.
A cross-sectional study of Italian students in 2016 showed that out of 5,318 students, 60% of those students experienced back pain related to the load and extended time of use of their backpack. In particular, adolescent girls seemed to struggle the most with chronic back pain due to the need to tote a heavy load throughout the day. Due to the excessive strain placed on the shoulders and lower back to carry these loads, some students can even experience spinal compression throughout their schooling if not properly supported and treated. While parent’s don’t have control over what textbooks teachers assign their students, there are a few things they can do to help their children avoid the pains of carrying a heavy backpack load.

Finding the Right Backpack

Finding a backpack that fits both form and function for your child is no easy task, but it isn’t impossible. If you’re trying to find the right fit for your back-to-schooler, there are a few key elements to look for:
– Wide, padded straps provide extra support and relieves strain on the shoulders.
– Multiple compartments to prevent weight from being centralized to one area.
– Adjustable straps so that the weight does not sit more than 4 inches below the waist.
– An additional support strap across the waist or chest can also help lighten the load.
*Bonus Tip* Make sure your child wears their backpack with both straps to balance the weight! Try to avoid messenger bags that can put a strain on a single shoulder.

Working with the School

The recommended weight for a student’s backpack is between 10 and 20 percent of their total body weight. Unfortunately, it is hard for schools to oversee the issuance of books and supplies based on this guideline, because growing kids in a single age group tend to fall in a wide range of shapes and sizes! That doesn’t mean your child has to suffer the consequences of being smaller with a heavier load.
Talk to your administrators and teachers about the possibility of acquiring two sets of books for your students – one that can stay at home and one that can stay in the classroom or locker. This will alleviate the need for the child to tote around the heavy books all day as well as to and from school. You might also be able to access some textbooks with an online version, further eliminating the need for your child to carry their books all the way home.

Chiropractic Care for Children & Teens

If you find that your student is still struggling with back pain as a result of a heavy backpack, lack of back support in desks, or any other challenge that going back to school presents, we’re here to help. We can provide a gentle spinal manipulation that can realign your child’s back and help them find relief. It’s also a great measure to improve the immune system – an extra line of defense against all those fresh germs!

It’s a common misconception that chiropractic care is too pricey to consider when finding relief from acute or chronic pain. At Tuck Chiropractic, we believe the value of your visit will far outweigh the cost of continuing to find relief with the wrong resources. Whether you’re putting money into routine doctors visits, medication, or other means, you could be throwing money down the drain by seeking out a way to cover the pain rather than resolve it.

Weighing the Costs of Your Care

Imagine that you’re suffering from persistent lower back pain over the course of a few weeks. You decide to visit your general practitioner to see what could be causing the problem and maybe get some medication to cover the pain, but as soon as you run out, you’ll likely have to go back for more or take your examination a step further to X-rays or an MRI. Over time, regardless of your insurance policy, that could add up and you still may not find relief. The money it would take you to visit your doctor, pay for a prescription, or get imaging done is significantly more than you would be spending if you had to visit Tuck Clinic for 6 adjustments. Without insurance, these adjustments cost a mere $50. A general visit to even an express doctor’s office would be upwards of $100 with no guaranteed solution!
Then there’s the cost of missing work due to your pain. If you’re paid hourly, missing precious hours of income will cost you even more. We recently sat down with a patient that has now been visiting our clinics for 5 years. After putting it off and making excuses, including that it’s too much money, she finally realized she was throwing away the money spent on her college education and missing out on vital paychecks because she was in too much pain to go to work or school.
A study conducted at Oakland University discovered that patients who did seek out chiropactic care experienced significantly lower healthcare costs. To be exact, patients saved about $1,000 over a two-year period. Not only is chiropractic care a cost-effective way to find relief for your pain, but when used as a preventative measure to avoid further injuries and sustain a healthy lifestyle, the reward outweighs the cost even more.

Tuck Clinic Accepts A Variety of Carriers

Because we believe in giving our patients the best care possible, we build affordable treatment plans that are catered to your unique needs and will not ask you to spend money on extra treatments or x-rays that you don’t need. We currently partner with most major insurance carriers including Anthem, Aetna, Cigna, Coventry, United Healthcare, and Medicare. Soon, we will also be accepting Optum policies.
Tuck Clinic realizes that every policy varies so we’ve used over 20 years of experience in accepting insurance to optimize our insurance process to work best for our patients, our office, and your insurance carriers. If you’re a new patient and are unsure of what your care plan may cost you, we provide a complimentary benefits check to find out exactly what your personal policy covers. Upon request, we can let our patients know with 95% certainty what they will have to pay for each adjustment or therapy session before they even set their first appointment in less than 24 hours with just their insurance policy number and date of birth.
We do this because we don’t want our patients to have any surprises when it comes to paying for a happier, healthier life. Just as we try to explain our treatments and care plans clearly, we want to be as direct as possible when it comes to their insurance coverage, deductibles, or co-pays. We do our best to keep our treatments affordable regardless of your plan so even if you have a high deductible, your out of pocket cost will still be more affordable than your regular doctors visit.
“Our goal is not to send patients bills,” says Dr. Jennifer Rathman of Blacksburg. “That’s why we do our best to provide their expected costs ahead of time, down to the penny if possible.”
It’s understandable to be uncertain about trying out a new method of care with the ever changing healthcare environment. That’s why we do our best to stabilize these costs, stay ahead of the curve of changes in the field, and constantly update our knowledge-base of coverages. If we find a discrepancy in billing with an insurance policy, we do our best to immediately educate all of our clinics on the changes so that we can always keep our patients up to date and on track.
“It’s important to us that we have the correct information available,” says Rathman. “With so many clinics and the fact that we file claims daily, we find out those results pretty quickly and can disseminate the information to everyone.”
If you’d like to know if your healthcare plan will cover your chiropractic care, feel free to fill out our New Patient form or call your closest clinic location to find out. We look forward to helping you!

Sweet summertime – a time for beautiful sunsets across new horizons. It’s the perfect opportunity to discover a new beach town or hop on a plane to the Grand Canyon. While you’re relaxing on vacation, it’s important to make sure you come back feeling in better shape than when you left. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. Sitting for long hours in a car or on a plane can take a toll on your body. But there are a few ways you can make sure that your summer travels don’t leave you with pain.

Protect Your Neck

Sitting idly in a vehicle can encourage bad posture and put a strain on your neck and shoulders. Especially when on a long flight or car ride, it’s important to protect your neck. Prolonged strain on your neck could cause you to lose sleep and make you quite uncomfortable during your vacation. We can’t have that now, can we? There are a few key ways to keep your neck happy and healthy.
When in the car, it’s easy to hunch forward. Make sure you sit back in your seat and take advantage of your head rest. Your headrest should be placed so that it supports the entire back of your head and neck. Also, when you’re driving, be sure to keep your hands at 4 and 6 to keep your arms and shoulders from straining. If you’re relaxing as a passenger in a car or on a plane, try to always use a neck pillow to support you if you plan to nap. Letting your neck hang or even laying up against the door can damage your neck.

Protect Your Back

It’s easy to twist and turn your body when you’re locked into sitting for long periods of time. While you think you’re getting comfortable, you’re really just putting a strain on your back! We often see patients before and after long trips because of the toll it takes on the back. That being said, if you are mindful during your trip and protect your back properly, you can avoid pain.
Once again, the best advice we can give you is to sit up straight! It’s easy to slouch or want to change positions during your ride. Sitting up straight with your feet flat on the ground is the best way to protect your back. Car seats don’t always have the best lumbar support, so bringing a lumbar pillow to relieve the pressure on your lower back is a helpful technique as well.
Finally, it’s important to stop frequently to stretch. We get it, you want to get to the beach as fast as you can. But is it really worth it for your back to be in pain by the time you get there? When possible, take frequent pit stops. Get up and move your legs to get the blood flowing and even do some stretches. Your back will thank you later.

Beware of Weekend Warrior Syndrome

It’s easy to get carried away with trying to cram as much activities as you can on vacation or even during a long weekend. If your job typically requires very little activity, you might put your body into shock by bursts of activities on the weekend or on your vacation. This is known as weekend warrior syndrome and is one of the most common sources of sudden acute back pain. Remember that it’s important to pace yourself. Maybe if you’re a little out of shape, you should skip risking your back only to wipe out after 30 seconds on a wakeboard. You can have plenty of fun relaxing and taking in the sights, and you won’t have to go back to work in pain!
If you do find yourself having difficulties getting through long trips, we’re here to help! Our doctors can provide spinal adjustments to your neck and back to get you back to feeling good and looking forward to your next adventure!

There are few instances in life that bring about as many changes as pregnancy. Expecting mothers will experience extreme changes to their bodies and emotions. While developing a baby is extremely beautiful and exciting, your body goes through many, sometimes painful, changes. In this post, we will show you how and why chiropractic care can be a source of relief for the uncomfortable changes that many expecting mothers endure.

Changes

When a body adapts to accommodate the development of a baby, it’s often an uncomfortable process for the mother. Not surprisingly, as their bodies changes, many expecting mothers feel various degrees of back and neck pain.
Pain associated with pregnancy varies from mother to mother. The discomfort is due to drastic body shape changes, leaving expecting mothers more prone to joint pain caused by altered positioning of the vertebra. Some mothers find the pain is mostly in their lower back, while others experience neck and leg pain. No matter where the pain is felt, it can almost always be associated with the changes occurring in the spine due to added weight, hormone changes, or changing balance.
Thankfully, many mothers-to-be have found relief with chiropractic care. Chiropractors know spines and can offer relief without invasive prescriptions that are dangerous to mother and child.

Why Chiropractic

There are many benefits to seeking chiropractic care while pregnant. Most importantly, a chiropractor can assure that your spine is properly aligned and able to support the development of a baby.
There are many misconceptions about the safety of the mother and child when using chiropractic care during pregnancy. However, chiropractors are trained to work with women who are pregnant and are fully capable of treating them safely. Often times, mothers have found relief and even an easier birth after consulting with a chiropractor.
For expectant mothers who wish to avoid taking pain-relieving drugs, chiropractic care is a safe, natural alternative. Chiropractic treatment can significantly reduce pain and discomfort during pregnancy by realigning the body and relieving pressure that causes lower back pain.
If you or someone you know is considering seeking out chiropractic care during pregnancy, rest assured that you will be in good hands. At Tuck Chiropractic Clinic, we are committed to providing high-quality treatment for you and your growing family.
Interested in more information? Read more about our services for expecting mothers.

In Bedford County, it’s easy to know just about everybody. Growing up in a small town with a tight-knit community such as Bedford often inspires unexpected roots to sprout. At least this was the case for Tuck’s Bedford Clinic, Dr. Matthew Foster, who completed his preceptorship and began practicing as a licensed chiropractor at Tuck Chiropractic Clinic in Bedford in the Fall of 2017.

When Career and Community Come Full Circle

As a Sophomore football player at Jefferson Forest High School, Dr. Foster sustained injuries in the weight room. Most young, spry athletes are always eager to get back on the field after an injury and Dr. Foster was no different. Unfortunately, he had trouble finding true relief. After going through specialty stretches, physical therapy, and pain medication, the pain was merely masked rather than relieved. Finally, he paid a visit to a well known, now-retired Chiropractor in Bedford for an adjustment. After seeing the miracle-like effect a simple adjustment can have on a healing body, Matthew discovered his future career.
“The chiropractic profession, where you can heal people with your hands, is almost biblical,” says Dr. Foster. “My uncle Paul Foster is a physician’s assistant and was a big role model for me growing up. I remember him always talking about how many people come through the office for pain medications.”
Knowing the toll that the “medical loop” takes on your body in search of pain relief, Dr. Foster set out on his mission to heal people with his hands. He attended Liberty University for his undergraduate degree and continued his chiropractic education at the renowned Palmer College of Chiropractic in Florida. When it came time to complete his preceptorship and find a job, his hometown in Southwest Virginia came calling to him.
“I actually had the opportunity to move out to Hawaii to practice, but I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to come back home and work in the community I grew up in,” says Dr. Foster. “It’s an awesome feeling that money can’t buy when you help the hometown that helped raise you to be who you are.”

Refined Treatments for Special Cases

As a new graduate, Dr. Foster has had the opportunity to explore some of the alternative methods to administering chiropractic care beyond spinal manipulation. He is certified to administer dry needling, activator methods, instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization, and Epley’s Technique for vertigo.
How do these techniques vary from the classic chiropractic adjustment? Essentially, they are just more direct ways to get to the root of the pain while remaining in the natural remedy arena. Dry needling, similar to acupuncture, operates on pressure points in the body that can cause pain. Dr. Foster can also perform the activator method and soft tissue mobilization with special instruments that focus on a specific area of the body that is experiencing pain.
“It’s so rewarding to hear people say that they feel better and the gratitude and satisfaction that you get from healing pain is immeasurable,” says Dr. Foster. “My only goal is to help people with acute pain or injury find relief, educate them well enough to help them take care of themselves, and hopefully they’ll choose elective care to help their lifestyle. I didn’t choose the profession for the money, I just want to help people that want to help themselves by implementing our mission statement of, ‘To make a positive impact on every life we touch.'”

Rooted in the Community

Of course, working at Tuck Chiropractic Clinic wasn’t the only reason Dr. Foster returned to Bedford County after college. It was his connection to the community that really called him back home and he demonstrates that as much as possible through his activities outside the clinic walls. As a member of the Bedford County Rotary Club, Bedford Chamber of Commerce, and soon to be Free Masons, Matthew spends this free time giving back in any way he can.

As active leaders in both the chiropractic and wider medical industries, we take pride in being first in line to educate patients, the public, and anyone who will listen about the importance of providing supportive, conservative care to patients in need. While we do our best to go above and beyond for all of our patients, that doesn’t always mean providing more care than we need. To us, conservative care means finding the right treatment for an individual’s specific needs and nothing more.

Choosing Wisely

This concept is closely aligned with the American Board of Internal Medicine‘s (ABIM) Choosing Wisely initiative. Their most well known initiative, Choosing Wisely was built to address “waste” in healthcare. While no moment spent with a patient is wasted, it is often found that patients may receive more care or treatment than they actually need. Their official mission is “to promote conversations between clinicians and patients by helping patients choose care that is:

• Supported by evidence
• Not duplicative of other tests or procedures already received
• Free from harm
• Truly necessary”

While it is your choice to choose what type of practitioner to seek, it’s our duty as leader in the chiropractic industry to discuss the fives ways you can be assured that you are “Choosing Wisely” when choosing your chiropractor based on the ABIM’s recommendations for chiropractic care:

1. Do not obtain spinal imaging for patients with acute low-back pain during the six (6) weeks after onset in the absence of red flags.

Chiropractors who closely follow best practices will look for red flags before recommending spinal imaging. Because imaging tests often incur additional cost of care, it is in the best interest of the patient to refrain from imaging unless there are extenuating circumstances that lead the doctor to believe it is absolutely necessary. Red flags can include history of cancer, a possible fracture, progressive neurologic symptoms and infection, as well as conditions that potentially preclude a dynamic thrust to the spine.
If your chiropractor requests x-rays when you are not experiencing chronic low-back pain or suspect a possible fracture, you may want to ask additional questions or seek another practitioner.

2. Do not perform repeat imaging to monitor patients’ progress.

Again, unnecessary imaging incurs unnecessary cost. Unless you are being seen for a severe, ongoing problem such as scoliosis, there is no need to leverage additional x-rays to track outcomes. At Tuck Clinic, we choose to track our outcomes by reviewing a combination of the custom care plan we provide to the patient as well as their perception of their treatments and the relief resulting from such treatments.

3. Avoid protracted use of passive or palliative physical therapeutic modalities for low-back pain disorders unless they support the goal(s) of an active treatment plan.

That sounds like a lot of chiropractor jargon, don’t you think? We’ll break this one down for you. Often times, chiropractors administer passive techniques such as heating and cooling, electrical stimulation, or ultrasound therapy to supplement chiropractic adjustments. These, alone, are not the solution to fixing the overall wellness of your body after an injury or even during maintenance visits. It is highly suggested that these treatments are paired with a therapeutic exercise program that empowers the patient to continue their wellness efforts outside of the office walls. After all, the ultimate goal is to get our patients feeling better and living better overall.

4. Do not provide long-term pain management without a psychosocial screening or assessment.

There are many common causes to long-term pain. Sometimes, it’s a severe injury that has been ignored for years. But sometimes, it could be the unexpected side effects of depression or anxiety. It is the duty of a chiropractor to do their due diligence to get to the root cause of pain, even if it includes a psychological issue.

5. Do not prescribe lumbar supports or braces for the long-term treatment or prevention of low-back pain.

As noted in our recent examination of low back pain and lumbar support devices, these are great tools for temporary support but should never be considered a long term fix for an issue. Providing passive support for the lower back with these devices have been shown to reduce strength in the back, leaving it even more vulnerable to pain and injury. If your doctor has prescribed one of these devices as a quick fix, you may want to seek an alternative opinion.

Summertime is on the horizon and the kids will be let out of school soon. Do you have plans in mind to make sure both their brains and their bodies stay active over break?
Summer is a great opportunity to loosen the reigns at work and find more ways to bond with your kids, all while staying happy and healthy! Living around Southwest Virginia’s abundance of natural resources and small businesses that facilitate an active, healthy lifestyle makes it even easier. As people who embrace these amenities as often as we can, we’ve rounded up a few of the best ways we keep everyone in the family happy with summer activities.

Create Your Own Adventure

The Roanoke Outside Foundation, a subsidiary of the Roanoke Regional Partnership, was built to make outdoor activity in Southwest Virginia a core component of our community’s lifestyle. They work hard with local Parks & Recreation Departments, State Parks, local outdoors outfitters, and more to provide a comprehensive website of resources for anyone looking to get out and get active in the region.
One of the special features on their site is the “Create Your Own Adventure” feature, an interactive way to plan a full day in the outdoors where everyone can have a say in the adventure! Sit down with your kids at the computer and take a few minutes to talk about what they’d like to do that day. You can choose from land or water and then explore a variety of options. You find anything from your favorite hiking trail, to a special river tubing spot, to a place you can go horseback riding! Where will your next adventure take you?

Take Advantage of the Greenways

Municipalities across the Roanoke Valley have banded together to build up the Greenway Trails we know and love. For more than a decade, local efforts have been able to build up 26 miles of greenway trails across the valley, reaching from Vinton, to Salem, and now out towards Botetourt!
The best part about the greenway is getting lost in the lush flora and fauna of our region while knowing your favorite ice cream shop or tap room is just a few short steps off of the greenway! The greenway is never too far from family favorites like Blue Cow Ice Cream, River Rock Climbing, or Launchpad Salem! Pack a lunch for the family and rent some bikes or just start strolling down the green way.

Join a Community Gym

While we hope you’re a gym member year round, they especially come in handy with the summer! Sometimes we just need to let the kids blow of some energy while we hang out by the pools, or vice versa. Luckily, Southwest Virginia has no shortage of gyms and recreation centers of every variety. While corporate places like Planet Fitness are great for your health needs, there aren’t a whole lot of options for kids. That’s why we recommend looking into one of the locally run recreation centers.
Green Ridge Recreation Center in North Roanoke works in partnership with Roanoke County Parks & Recreation to provide an opportunity for families of all shapes and sizes to have a happy, healthy, active lifestyle. From their outdoor water park, Splash Valley, to the summer education programs like gymnastics, your kids will stay active while you can get those extra miles on the treadmill in.

Carilion Wellness Centers are now located in South Roanoke, Botetourt, Downtown Roanoke, and Smith Mountain Lake. No matter where you are in the Valley, you’re never too far away from an opportunity to get active. In fact, the Botetourt location is right across the road from our Clinic!
Local branches of the YMCA are a great way to stay active while giving back to your community. The fee you pay for your membership goes to supporting active and stable lifestyles for underprivileged children in your area. They also have reciprocity for their different locations. If you’re a member of one, you can visit any of them in the area! They also have a great summer program for kids if you’re unable to take some time off.
Whether you prefer to use indoor amenities or natural outdoor adventures to stay active this summer, just make sure everyone in your family gets a chance to have a day where they get to choose their own! Exploring the interests of everyone in the family will bring you closer together and keep everyone engaged in keeping up with a positive lifestyle.

The average workweek of 40 hours per week equates to almost 24% of your year is spent at your office or place of work. If you are spending a quarter of your year in the workplace, it becomes important that said place is not wearing on your mental and physical health. Let’s look deeper into how you can better care for your body and mind while at work.

Keep Moving

Stretching, in general, is important for the muscles in your body. Stretching becomes very important when you are at work if you are sedentary for a long amount of time. Neck and back problems are most commonly associated with long periods of sitting. Sitting puts a lot of pressure on backs which can lead to back muscle pain. The disks in your back that are meant to expand and contract with movement, become compressed which causes them to lose flexibility over time. Avoiding long periods of sitting will help prevent lower back pain.
Hip problems are also a side effect of sitting for long periods of time. Sitting causes your hips to tense up and limits their range of motion. The decrease of hip mobility is one of the leading cause of elderly falls. It is strongly advised to take regular breaks in your workday to stretch the muscles you are straining or completely not using.
There are hundreds of simple office stretches you can do to counteract the side effects of prolonged sitting. Here are some of our favorites.

Create a Mental Safe Space

Your desk may be contributing to your work rut without you even knowing. You might find yourself distracted by clutter that you haven’t had a chance to clean up. You may also be feeling a little uninspired by your sterile surroundings. What does the science say about how your workspace affects your mood?
The data is split. It’s been repeatedly said that a clean desk sets us up for better organization and increased productivity. However, creative geniuses have been known to be extremely messy. Researchers at the University of Minnesota conducted a study about work surroundings that focused on unique uses for ping pong balls that found, “Participants in the messy room generated the same number of ideas for new uses as their clean-room counterparts. But their ideas were rated as more interesting and creative when evaluated by impartial judges”.
Your best results will depend on your preference. Naturally organized individuals find clutter and mess to be distracting and stress inducing. Not so organized folks tend to produce better ideas in an environment that isn’t so tidy. The point, however, is to be sure you are doing the method that best suits your personality. There is no benefit in trying to fit the standards of others as this will most likely leave you feeling uncreative or mentally stressed.

Be Aware of Office “Health” Trends

Trending in offices everywhere is the concept of a standing desk. These seem like the answer to the prayers of many individuals who suffer from lower back pain after a day at the office. Well once again, the science is split. Sitting for more than 6 hours a day has significant negative health associations, but so does working at a standing desk for the same amount of time.
Dr. Peter Ottone, a chiropractor from New Jersey, told Business Insider that “weight gain and carpal tunnel syndrome as well as shoulder, back, and neck pain are all conditions that can be affected by standing and sitting”.
The conclusions for the standing desk should be to do what’s comfortable for you. A good suggestion would be to sit when you feel yourself getting tired and distracted by the fact that your standing. On the flip side, be sure to get up and stretch your legs and get some work done that doesn’t require you to be completely sedentary.

Do a Little Research

The best way to keep your workspace health friendly? Stay informed. If you are feeling the physical or mental strain at work, look to sources that will keep you up to date on ways help make your work day pleasant. Don’t ignore what your mind or body is telling you. Mental and physical health are key to being the most productive and happy YOU!

While most of our patients come to see us in search of relief for their low back pain, we see it as our duty to utilize visits as an opportunity to dive deeper to see if there are other ways we can help them live a better life. Often times, we discover that treating some of their aches and pains can actually provide relief in other areas of their body as well. From sciatica to sinus pain, chiropractors have a deep understanding of how the musculoskeletal system works closely with the nervous system to trigger sensation, including pain and pressure, throughout the body. One of the lesser known treatments is adjustments focused on relieving sinus pressure from sickness or allergies.

Battling Allergy Season with Chiropractic Adjustments

A common cause of sinus pressure and pain is the common cold or allergies, causing what is known as sinusitis. This is a result of the tissue lining in your sinus cavities becoming inflamed and blocking drainage of mucus and pollutants, increasing pressure, clogging nasal passages, and sometimes inciting swelling in the face and eyes. This build-up of fluid that can cause intense pressure in the sinus pathways of the face.
While many people turn to cold or allergy medication to relieve the symptoms, a chiropractic adjustment of specific bones in the face, neck, and back could provide relief to the cause, and in turn the symptoms. It can also be seen as a preventative therapy to keep things moving in your sinuses before they get backed up. By leveraging the musculoskeletal system’s communication with the nervous system, the nervous system can then stimulate the immune system that controls the body’s reaction to outside elements like pollen, ragweed, and germs.

What to Expect

Whether you’re already a chiropractic patient or are trying it for the first time, the doctor will want to get to know your sinus issues, specifically. You will likely have to answer questions that can lead to the root cause of the issue, whether it be allergies, a deviated septum, or simply a common cold and possibly receive an X-ray to help discover possible misalignments.

Chiropractic Manipulation

Most likely, your chiropractor will perform a hands-on chiropractic manipulation in the sinus areas of your facial region, behind your ears, or the vertebrae in your neck that can influence the muscles in your face to encourage the relief of pressure to the sinuses and allow drainage.

Activator Method

Another method that is commonly used at the Tuck Clinic offices is known as the activator method. Using a small hand-held pressurized tool, our doctors are able to pinpoint the trigger areas in the face that will loosen up the sinuses to allow the drainage of mucus build up.

Eating Well

Choose what you eat wisely if you suffer from sinus problems often. Foods like dairy and sugar can increase inflammation and worsen the effects of an allergic reaction, sinus infection, or long-term sinus problems. If you have a hard time resisting these foods, do your best to balance them with anti-inflammatory foods like fruits, vegetables, and turmeric.
Bonus Tip: Bee Proactive When you start peak allergy season off eating honey that is harvested locally to your area, you may be able to build up some level of immunity to the local pollen that would most commonly influence an allergic reaction.
If you’re experiencing sinus pressure and pain, ask your chiropractor at your next visit how they may be able to help! Then, you can get back to stopping and smelling the flowers.

When you think about an “athlete”, it’s likely that names and faces like LeBron James, Serena Williams, or David Beckham come to mind. You might imagine their glorious game-winning goals, down to the buzzer shots, and match-winning hurls. Or think about how hard they work from day to day to refine their skills and keep up their stamina, and your mind might wonder how you’d never be able to achieve the same glory.
According to Dr. Brooke at Tuck Clinic Chiropractic in Fairlawn, being an athlete isn’t as out of reach as you might imagine. As a chiropractor who has received special training as a Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician, and has spent time training with Olympic athletes, Dr. Brooke knows the ins and outs of what it truly means to be or become an athlete. In fact, he shares his “Five Dimensions of Health” with all of his patients to better explain the concept: Physical, Chemical, Psychological, Sleep, Neurological.

What an Athlete Looks Like on the Outside

Again, when you think about an athlete, you probably picture them as well built and muscular, but that doesn’t always have to be the case. In fact, an “athlete” by definition according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary is “a person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, or stamina”. So while you need some skills and strength in a certain area, you don’t necessarily need to be an all-star.
On the outside, an athlete is someone who takes the time to work on themselves through their preferred method, gets plenty of sleep, and takes measures to make sure their neurological wellness matches their physiological wellness. Because chiropractic care works with the neurological and musculoskeletal system, it’s a great place to start your journey.
Dr. Brooke recalls one of his patients that used chiropractic care as the first step of her journey towards being an “Every Day Athlete”. This particular patient came into Dr. Brooke’s clinic to seek relief for lower back pain. At her first appointment, she had a BMI of 40 and above the range of being morbidly obese. She received a treatment plan throughout approximately 35 days for her back pain and Dr. Brooke never heard from her again.
That is until 2 years later, she came back for maintenance care. Dr. Brooke remembered her name but when he saw her in his office again, he claimed he would have never been able to recognize her without her chart in hand. After she completed her care with Dr. Brooke, she embraced her newfound relief by starting a strict regimen of walking. She walked 2 hours every day and over the course of 2 years, lost 140 pounds. Yes, just from walking!
You see, you don’t have to be in tip-top shape to find the dedication to really hone in on your wellness plan of choice and become an “everyday athlete”.

What an Athlete Looks Like on the Inside

Speaking of dedication, beyond the physical element, there are two very important elements to this process that happen internally. That’s where the psychological and chemical aspects come in.
Whatever you call it: dedication, motivation, determination; something in your mind has to keep you moving forward. You need to have the right mindset to get up every day and stretch or make it to the pool for some laps during your lunch break. Having a positive psychological outlook on your daily wellness is even more important than your ability to perform your workout well.
The final component is the chemical component. What are you putting in your body? Dr. Brooke’s patient admittedly did a little more than just walking every day. She also adjusted her diet as a part of her wellness goals. When you eat foods with the right chemical makeup, your workouts are fueled better, your recovery happens faster, and even your mindset can be improved.
How will you get started on your journey to be an Every Day Athlete? We’re here to help.