In the world of natural, non-invasive healing, there is often a crossover in the minds of patients when it comes to deciding between chiropractic care and massage therapy. While they both seem similar on the surface, they’re strikingly different in approach. Both focus on the back and provide pain relief without the use of medicine or invasive treatment, but the methods, solutions, and level of education of each type vary greatly.
There’s a time and place for everything, as is with massage therapy and chiropractic adjustments.

Treatments Are Different By Definition

While both of these practices focus primarily on the back and secondarily on the rest of the body, the approach and overall outcomes differ. Ultimately, massage therapy and chiropractic care differ by definition. For this instance, we look to Miriam-Webster dictionary to explain:
Massage: manipulation of tissues (as by rubbing, kneading, or tapping) with the hand or an instrument for relaxation or therapeutic purposes
Chiropractic: a system of noninvasive therapy which holds that certain musculoskeletal disorders result from nervous system dysfunction arising from misalignment of the spine and joints and that focuses treatment especially on the manual adjustment or manipulation of the spinal vertebrae
Though there is a wide variety of massage techniques, the overall focus is on stimulating the soft, muscular tissue to relieve tension, improve circulation, and encourage relaxation. While massages provide temporary relief and release of toxins, chiropractic care is a step in the direction towards overall, long-term wellness. A massage is often accompanied by low lighting, relaxing music, and essential oils to add to the relaxing experience. A massage can last anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour and a half, but the longer the better!
Chiropractic care considers the combination of muscular and skeletal systems, with emphasis on the spine. Through techniques like spinal manipulation, or adjustments, doctors are able to help establish better movement in the spine, providing relief to strained joints and muscles. Where massage focuses on soft tissue, chiropractic care goes right to the source of the issue. Because of the focus on the skeletal system, it often takes less time to administer and for patients to begin to feel relief.

Education of the Practitioner

While both practices require a certain understanding of the human body, they vary in levels of schooling and certification. Receiving a Doctorate in Chiropractic Care often requires a deeper understanding of the human body and how its systems work together to build a happy, healthy person. While regulations vary from state to state, you can expect a chiropractor to have a minimum of 8 years of education, completion of residency, and to have passed several rounds of boards and certifications tests to be able to practice.
Most massage therapists only complete between 330-1,100 hours of training and complete a Massage and Bodywork Licensing Exam to begin practicing. While their education includes knowledge of the human anatomy and physiology, the ultimate focus is on providing an environment of relaxation and relieving muscle tension points in the body.

Choosing the Right Method for Your Needs

When it comes down to it, the choice we can only ever advise is to do whatever heals your pain – so when deciding between massage therapy and chiropractic care, one should only consider the type of pain one is experiencing. If you feel that your pain is a source of muscle strain, massage therapy may be an easy choice. However, if you suspect there could be an underlying issue causing this muscle strain, it would be best to consult a chiropractor.

 
At Tuck Chiropractic Clinic, each and every one of our doctors takes great care in providing a custom, comprehensive plan to each individual that walks through our doors. Because there are varying levels of pain, there are varying timelines of care. At times, we find joy in delivering fast, life-changing relief. Other times, we are granted with the opportunity to build long-standing relationships that contribute to an individual’s wellness for years to come.
Either way, our doctors will only recommend the appropriate level of care for you, individually. When Deana Fralin came to the Tuck Chiropractic Clinic in Cave Spring, she was pleased to find out it wouldn’t take long until she found relief for her headaches.
Deana has been suffering from headaches since the age of five, at varying levels of severity. As someone who tends to avoid taking an excess of medications, headaches were something she just had to deal with. That is, until she had a 3-week long tension headache at the end of the holiday season. She knew her medical doctor would simply prescribe pain medicine to her, so she decided to take the plunge and seek out chiropractic care.

We Make It Easy to Feel Better

As someone who works in the healthcare industry herself, she knows the ins and outs of finding the best care.”I did some research and saw that a lot of people had been satisfied with their service,” said Deana about finding Tuck Chiropractic online. “I was able to fill out all of my paperwork online. In one to two hours, they had already called me to set up an appointment and they were able to get me in the very next day.”
To anyone who hasn’t been to a chiropractor before, the first session can be a little intimidating – but Deana said she was met with pleasant, professional people who’s priority was to make her feel comfortable and feel like she’s informed and involved in the process.
At her first session, Dr. Susan Kilmer sat down with Deana to review her patient information and have a face to face conversation about her pain problems. After discovering that her pain wasn’t isolated to her head, and had begun to migrate to her neck and back, Dr. Kilmer walked her through a conservative care plan that catered both to her pain and her personal schedule. She started with what to expect from the treatments and how long it should be until she begins to feel relief. Deana’s plan includes multiple sessions of neck adjustments and ultrasound therapy a week, that taper off in frequency over time. Eventually, she will only have to come in to Tuck Clinic “as needed”.

And When You Feel Better, You Live Better

For the first time in weeks, Deana has been headache free for an extended period of time. At the time of her interview, she had been seeing Dr. Kilmer for 6-8 weeks – which happens to be how long it’s been since she suffered from a headache. With a clear, pain-free mindset, she’s now able to live a better life. Instead of laying down in a dark room to sleep the pain away, she’s spending time with her family. Instead of getting distracted by her neck and shoulder pain at her desk, she’s being more productive at work.
As it stands now, Deana will complete the care plan that Dr. Susan Kilmer has provided in the next few weeks. It is our sincere hope that her headaches will be far and few between as a result of the care that we have been able to provide – but if we do see her again, all we’ll simply smile and say, “We’re here to help.”
Whatever the future holds for Deana Fralin, she says one thing is for sure, “It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”

What Is Acupuncture?
Through common misconception, many associate acupuncture with intimidating needles or painful poking and prodding. Ironically, acupuncture is a century-old practice meant to restore your balance of energy along meridians of the body. Dr. Jennifer Rathmann of the Tuck Chiropractic Clinic in Blacksburg states:
“Similar to blood vessels and nerves that flow through your body, there are channels of energy or what the Chinese call ‘Chi.’ Sometimes there is too much or too little chi and the needles stimulate the points with the most abundant areas of chi to regulate it.”
Acupuncture is performed to unblock or rebalance the flow of energy throughout the body through a series of thin needles placed strategically along meridians of the body. Needles used in this technique are relatively pain-free with the purpose of reducing chronic pain in a natural way.
How Does It Work?
The beginning steps of acupuncture start with a medical exam, rather than an actual procedure. During this exam, questions about pain level, health and overall function are asked. After, your care provider or chiropractor will look for places on your body where chi is potentially blocked.
Using landmarks across the body, thin needles are placed along meridians. While some are placed deeper than other, several needles are used to restore the sense of chi. Treatment times range from 15 minutes to an hour, dependent upon personal needs. On average, a treatment lasts about 20 minutes.
Medical professionals at the Tuck Chiropractic Clinic in Blacksburg use a technique called “Surround the Dragon.” This technique stimulates points around the area of pain with the belief that providing an external stimulus to the muscles causes them to relax. According to Dr. Rathmann, “there is also a pattern called ‘Master Energy’ points which help regulate the chi and are often effective for the relief of stress, anxiety, fatigue and improvement of general overall well-being.”
What Are the Benefits of Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is a great option to consider for anyone suffering from chronic back and neck pain, migraines or headaches, joint pain, or shoulder pain. We always suggest a conservative care model, that avoids drugs or medication if at all possible.
According to the Archive of Internal Medicine, acupuncture has proven to reduce chronic pain by up to 15% when used for a variety of pain sources, primarily chronic back pain. This pain can result from physical stress, poor sleeping habits, past injuries, pregnancy, or muscle tightness.
In addition to physical pain relief, this treatment can increase mood, regulate sleep and improve the overall immune system. Finally, well-placed needles have proven to boost immune cells that seek out or destroy infection. Collectively, acupuncture improves overall wellness through the use of meridians along the body.
Where Can I Receive Treatment?
Acupuncture is an alternative technique that few medical professionals can provide. Tuck Chiropractic Clinic offers an assortment of treatment options for pain, one of which is acupuncture. Tuck Chiropractic Clinic offers acupuncture at its’ Blacksburg location for those looking for relief outside of traditional methods.
If you’re interested or have question about acupuncture, contact us and make the first step to a healthier lifestyle today!

Have you ever wondered what a few extra pounds can do to your body? You may be surprised at how damaging obesity can be.

New Year, New You

Becoming healthier and specifically losing weight are among the top New Year’s resolutions. According to a Neilsen survey, more than 69 percent of resolution-makers stated a desired to live a healthier life or lose weight in 2015. Statistics gathered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that 69 percent of Americans over the age of 20 are overweight and just over 35 percent are obese. These statistics show that losing weight may be a harder battle than many people realize.
But just what are the consequences of obesity? Even apart from its association with life-threatening conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and stroke, carrying too much extra weight can cause a lot of mechanical wear and tear on your body, possibly leading to pain and mobility issues. The following seven physical problems have been tied directly to obesity:

Osteoporosis

A 2010 study by the Radiological Society of North America found that obese individuals are far more likely to have osteoporosis than individuals whose weight is at a healthy level. The study’s authors theorized that fat cells, in addition to producing hormones, also may produce chemicals that weaken bones.

Back Pain

A study of more than 50,000 men and 120,000 women using data from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study and the Nurses’ Health Study found that individuals who are overweight are far more likely to have back pain such as chronic lower back pain, spinal injuries, and vertebral disc disease. Proper alignment of the spine is difficult with excess weight, which places stress on the spine in atypical places.

Knee Damage

Excess weight places additional pressure and weight on the knees, which are not designed to carry extreme loads. A 2006 study published in the Bone and Joint Journal found that morbidly obese individuals who underwent knee replacement were more likely to have complications and problems less than four years later than patients who were not obese.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a type of arthritis that causes pain and inflammation in the joints. A 2008 study published in the journal Biorheology suggested that obesity may trigger arthritis due to its status as a “low-grade systemic inflammatory disease.” Inflammation can lead to an increased risk for developing arthritis in the knees, hips, wrists, and other joints.

Spine Problems

In 2014, researchers published findings in Spine that showed that obese patients being treated surgically for spinal conditions such as lumbar spinal stenosis, degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS), and intervertebral disc herniation (IDH) had significantly poorer outcomes than individuals who were not obese.

Inflexibility

Obese people are far less likely to have flexibility in the spine and other skeletal systems, according to a 2010 study published in the Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation. According to the study’s authors, the obese have a far narrower range of motion in their spines than individuals who are a healthy weight.

Poor Posture

Weight gain can affect posture, causing individuals to bend their spine and joints in unusual ways to accommodate the extra weight. Over time, excess weight can cause poor posture, including stooped shoulders, a bent spine, hips that rotate out of alignment, and a protruding belly. A 2014 study published in Obesity Surgery said that posture improves after weight loss.

Neck Pain

Excess weight is not only bad for the lower back, but it can cause strain in the upper back and neck as well. Poor posture and uneven weight distribution can cause chronic neck pain. A 2014 study published in the European Journal of Public Health found that individuals with a BMI of 25 or higher were far more likely to report chronic neck and back pain.
While losing weight continues to be a leading New Year’s resolution, you may find it easier to say “no” when you realize just how much pain obesity can cause.
If you’re experiencing aches and pains due to obesity, consider making an appointment with one of our doctors at Tuck Chiropractic Clinic. We can help reduce your pain, as well as develop a plan for a healthier lifestyle.
Image by Jean-Paul CHASSENET/123RF.
Image by designua/123RF.

The American Chiropractic Association celebrates Correct Posture Month in May each year. Good posture is essential to maintaining the musculoskeletal balance of our bodies, which prevents harm to joints, ligaments, bones, and muscles. Proper posture can also help prevent muscle fatigue by allowing the muscles to use energy in the most efficient way possible.
That’s not all! Research shows that posture can impact your overall health and happiness in several other important ways.
1) Good posture can improve your self-esteem.
A study conducted by a team of researchers in New Zealand and published in the journal Health Psychology found that when participants sat up straight, they reported feeling strong, enthusiastic, and excited, whereas a slouching posture corresponded with feelings of fear, hostility, and passivity. Researchers also reported that subjects in the upright position maintained a better rate of speech and stronger pulse.
2) Good posture can ease symptoms of depression and increase positive thoughts.
Professor Eric Peper, a researcher at San Francisco State University has studied the connection between posture and mood. In one of Peper’s experiments, participants reported that upright posture naturally led to more positive thoughts. His research, as well as previous studies conducted by other researchers, point to a mind-body relationship that runs both ways: bad posture can lead to increased feelings of depression, while good posture has the potential to increase positive thoughts and lift your mood.
3) Good posture can increase feelings of power, self-control, and confidence.
Researchers from Columbia and Harvard universities conducted a study on posture and found that closed body postures, such as slouching inward, led to higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol compared to expanded body postures. Participants with expanded body postures reported feeling more powerful and confident. An assessment of desire to take risks also found that open body postures made participants feel more inclined to take risks.
4) Good posture can reduce back and neck pain.
It’s clear that good posture has some powerful mental and emotional effects, but good posture can also help reduce back and neck pain. Bad posture can lead to strain on the joints and ligaments, as well as muscle soreness. Over time, chronic bad posture can cause premature wearing of the spinal structures, as well as secondary problems like headaches. Good posture helps to maintain balance and support for all areas of the body.
5) Good posture can improve oxygen intake by as much as 30 percent.
Besides causing damage to the structures of the body, bad posture can also reduce your ability to intake oxygen. Author and physician Jacob Teitelbaum recommends sitting up straight with an expanded chest, which can increase oxygen intake by as much as 30 percent. The increase in the amount of airflow provided by good posture provides more oxygen to the brain and muscles, giving your body an overall energy boost.

How Can You Improve Your Posture?

With all the evidence pointing to the benefits of good posture, you may be wondering about the best way to improve yours. This May, start making posture a priority with these guidelines for better sitting and standing habits — habits that may help you feel better physically and emotionally.
While standing:

• Be sure your ears, hips, and shoulders are all lined up, and align your feet with your hips and shoulders.
• Keep your knees from locking by bending them slightly and bear your weight on the balls of your feet instead of your heels.
• Engage your core muscles, and roll your shoulders back to avoid slouching.

While sitting:

• Your weight should be evenly distributed between your “sit bones.”
• Don’t cross your legs, and keep your knees level with or slightly higher than your hips.
• In an optimal sitting position, your feet should be flat on the floor.
• While sitting at a desk your shoulders should be relaxed and your arms should be at a right angle, with your forearms parallel to the floor.

With so much of our lives spent either sitting or standing, keeping these tips in mind can go a long way toward improving your posture.
If you have any questions or would like more information about the benefits of good posture or how to improve yours, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Wishing you a happy and healthy Correct Posture Month, from the team at Tuck Chiropractic Clinic!

Tuck Chiropractic Clinic specializes in comprehensive treatment for neck pain, low back pain, headaches, sciatica, and many other ailments. Chiropractic is effective for relieving pain and restoring proper function to the entire body.
Headaches in the back of the head are one of the more debilitating conditions we treat at Tuck Chiropractic Clinic.
The bad news is that these headaches are often caused by long-term postural difficulties. These postural habits are difficult to break and these headaches are tough to manage on your own. Typically, medications are minimally effective and these headaches quickly begin to ruin a patient’s life.
The good news is that headaches in the back of the head/top of the neck respond very well to chiropractic care. By adjusting the joints at the top of the neck, the muscles relax and the headaches improve quickly. When all the joints are moving well and the muscles are more relaxed, postural retraining is more effective.
One habit to be mindful of is having a chin-jut posture. If you are sitting at the computer or driving and your head is forward with your chin jutting out you are more likely to get a headache in the back of the head because those muscles get short and tight in that posture. Focus on keeping your chin back and feel as if you’re sitting tall to decrease these headaches.
If that doesn’t work, give your local Tuck Chiropractic Clinic a call for a proper evaluation!
If you suffer from neck pain, low back pain, sciatica, headache, or other issues dealing with the spine or body, call Tuck Chiropractic Clinic in Roanoke, the NRV, or Southwest VA today! We’re here to help!

Tuck Chiropractic Clinic specializes in comprehensive treatment for neck pain, low back pain, headaches, sciatica, and many other ailments. Chiropractic is effective for relieving pain and restoring proper function to the entire body.
Abraham Lincoln once said if he was given 4 hours to chop down a tree, he would spend three hours sharpening his ax. The same should hold true for us as we enter spring, the season of increased physical requirements.
We often find ourselves in a position of “needing to count down a tree” this time of year. We have spring cleaning lists, gardens to prepare for the planting of flowers and vegetables, and repairs that need to be made to lawn equipment. Instead of rushing forward to take a bunch of hacks at that tree, it may be better to step back, assess our upcoming requirements, and properly prepare ourselves for what may come. We often overlook the biggest tune-up needed: our chiropractic adjustment!
Prior to lifting a bunch of “stuff” that should have been discarded long ago or crawling around the yard pulling weeds or sitting for hours on a lawn tractor, we need to make sure that these routine activities will not be leading us to painful and debilitating injuries. A good chiropractic check up is most certainly on my list of “To Do’s” prior to sitting on my lawnmower for a few hours. It’s easier for me to perform my yard duties with a tuned spine that to suffer through the weekend in pain and discomfort. Before I clean out and donate the clothes that my children have quickly outgrown, I ensure that lifting bags will not subject me to “throwing something out.” And, before my seasonal allergies have the opportunity to get into full swing, I get adjusted and start a hydration regimen that will help to keep the itchy eyes and sneezing at bay.
Make sure when you’re listing your yearly regimen that you include a trip to your local chiropractor so that they can help you “sharpen your ax” and keep you functioning through out the much anticipated upcoming spring.
If you suffer from neck pain, low back pain, sciatica, headache, or other issues dealing with the spine or body, call Tuck Chiropractic Clinic in Roanoke, the NRV, or Southwest VA today! We’re here to help! www.tuckclinic.com

If you have ever heard the term “ergonomics” you may have taken some initiative to improve your desk at work. What you may not know is that you are actually improving your overall health as well.
Ergonomics literally means the “laws of work.” This term refers to “creating an environment where the equipment is made to fit the person and not forcing the person to fit the equipment.” A great example would be a car seat. Would you purchase a car where your head hits the roof and your knees straddle the steering wheel? Obviously you wouldn’t! So why would you sit in a desk chair that forces you to lean into the desk for support, bend your knees at an odd angle and put direct pressure on your wrists when you type?
Simple and cost effective strategies can be put into place to improve your posture, pain, and symptoms. Just ‘Google’ the word office ergonomics and you will be immediately overwhelmed by a number of helpful suggestions that are available to you. You could also follow these simple suggestions and find yourself more comfortable at work immediately.

1. Place the top of your monitor at a height that is at your eye level. For most of you, this means lifting your monitor 6 inches or more.
2. Place all your commonly needed items within arms reach. Your phone, printer, stapler and document holder should be with 2 feet of your hands. Reaching over and over will eventually put abnormal tension on your shoulders and neck.
3. Adjust the height of your chair so that your knees can bend at 90 degrees.
4. Once every 30 minutes, leave your workstation for 5 minutes. Once every hour leave your workstation for 10 minutes. Essentially, for every hour that you are working, spend 15 minutes moving around. Time your restroom breaks or grabbing a paper off of the printer.
5. Finally, if after only a few hours at your workstation you are developing headaches, mid back pain or numbness in your hands, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! Something is not working right. Get advice or help.

Our office is available to answer your questions. If you know your fellow employees are in need of help, we are able to present this information at your work. Ask the doctor for more information.

Every day I engage with a patient about “pillow talk.” When you consider the importance of how you spend 1/3 of your day, you can to see the relevance of this discussion.
First, the pillow must fit you! Not the other way around. Second, the pillow you choose will greatly differ from how you sleep. Basically, figuring out what position you sleep in most of the night. The damage that you cause to your neck from a poor or improperly fitted pillow will lead to problems with your spine. A Chiropractor will be able to help you recover from the damage, but stopping the pressure on the nerves must be the first priority.
Here are the basics. You need a pillow that is going to support a neutral posture the entire night. No other decision about a pillow will be as important as how it supports your neck and shoulders. Secondary considerations are allergies to the material and hygiene. Because of the oils in your hair and face, you should replace your pillow once every four to six months. Dust mites and bacteria will build up in almost any material and lead to allergies and poor skin. The oils will also flatten the pillow, changing how it supports you.
If you are a back sleeper, you will need a single pillow with a slight curve in it. This will support your spine while keeping your alignment neutral. Too small of a pillow will stress the lower part of your neck and too many or too large of a pillow will place excess stress on the upper part of your neck. Neither of which is conducive to a good nights rest. An excellent cervical curve pillow may be available from your Chiropractor.
Stomach sleepers, though not recommended, need a very thin pillow that will offer more cushion than support. A thin pillow will prevent excess pressure on the face and shoulders and again promote healthy alignment of your spine.
Finally, the side sleepers are the trickiest to figure out. They need a pillow that is going to fill the space between the side of the shoulder/arm and the neck. A pillow too small or too large with cause the neck to rest at an odd angle and will lead to AM stiffness and pain in the shoulder muscles. I recommend choosing a pillow at the store and keep the costs low ($4-$6), try the pillow out for several nights. If the pillow works well, go back to the store and invest in two or three more pillows of the exact brand and size. Then, replace the pillow once every four to six months to prevent thinning of the pillow due to oils from your skin.
Once you have found a pillow that fits you, always come back to the same pillow. If for any reason the pillow no longer supports you, start the process over and find the right pillow for your body. Again, 1/3 of your life is spent sleeping. Isn’t it worth the investment of time, effort, and money to find the right pillow?

For over 30 years, at Tuck Chiropractic we have treated literally thousands of patients. Most assume patients who consult a chiropractor to be very active people such as construction workers or athletes. However, these patients make up a very small percent of our practice. Across America, 40-50% of people are suffering from chronic back pain.
The chronic pain patients we see have injuries commonly known as cumulative type traumas.
These would be defined as small injuries, accumulating over time, into a major injury. To explain this to patients, I use this example: If you were to walk on the side of your foot all the time, eventually you will sprain your ankle.
If you are in pain, these are important questions to answer:
Is my pain new or reoccurring?
If you have never had this pain before and you can attribute it to a specific injury or activity, there is a possibility that no care is needed. Our suggestion is to apply ice to the area of pain for periods no longer than 20 minutes. If the pain does not subside, seek professional advice. If it is a reoccurring type pain, you could be developing a chronic pain condition. It is best to address this immediately. We find some of our patients are developing degenerative joint disease, an irreversible condition.
What if I cannot attribute my pain to a specific event?
Do you engage in activity regularly (perhaps working at a computer or working on a factory line)? This activity, over time, creates the same result as a single trauma. If this is the situation, a “two-pronged” approach usually is necessary. First, you must address the injury to get it to heal. Second, you must look at your activities and do what is called an ergonomic analysis.
No matter what the cause of your pain, you do not have to live with it. Pain is a signal in your body that something is wrong and should be corrected. Some of our patients explain pain away as a sign of old age. Whether you are 17 or 97 there are things that can be done to relieve your pain and get you back to living your life to the fullest.