The Wellness Blog
A Behind the Scenes Look At An Adjustment with Dr. Kilmer
On a sunny Wednesday afternoon, Dr. Susan Kilmer welcomed Ella back to the clinic for a low back adjustment with a friendly, familiar smile. That’s because Ella has been seeking chiropractic care from Dr. Susan for the past 19 years! In 1999, Ella sought out some relief from her general lower back pain and found Susan at her independent practice. She has been seeing her ever since and as a loyal patient, she continued to see her once Susan began working with Tuck Chiropractic as needed. “I’m getting ready to go on a trip to Nebraska,” Ella shared with Dr.
Continue ReadingDecades of Experience In Helping People Find Freedom from Pain
A lot has changed since Dr. Susan Kilmer graduated from the Los Angeles College of Chiropractic in 1985 – but her wide range of experience and continued education on techniques and patient support through the Tuck Chiropractic Clinic has allowed her to continue to help her patients find relief with the most modern techniques available. Her biography on our website doesn’t quite do her realm of experience justice. Her first place of practice was at the Olympics Training Center in Colorado Spring, CO. Here, she worked with the Olympic taekwondo team and judo team. The opportunity to treat Olympic athletes
Continue ReadingTech Neck: A Seemingly Unavoidable Ailment in Today's Technology Age
Last year, the Scientific American revealed that adults spend an average of 9 hours and 22 minutes of the day staring at a screen of some sort – including smartphones, computers, and television. Other reports have claimed the young children spend around 2 hours a day staring at a screen and that number only increases as the child gets older. The Screen Effect On Your Spine All of this time staring down at your phone, hunched over at your computer, or looking down at your iPad can have a huge impact on your spine. This posture imposes more weight on the cervical spine, the
Continue ReadingProtecting Your Child's Back This School Year
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
Continue ReadingA History of Chiropractic in Southwest Virginia
The study and practice of chiropractic got its start in 1895 when Dr. David Daniel Palmer performed the first chiropractic adjustment. While certain adjustment techniques had been around for many decades through history, nobody had ever compiled and codified these practices into a single philosophy of medicine. It was two years later that Palmer School of Cure, now Palmer College of Chiropractic, opened its doors to teach those interested in alternative healing techniques. Fast forward to 30 years and a student of the Palmer College of Chiropractic, Dr. Robert C. Bowie opened the first chiropractic practice in Galax, Virginia. While a seemingly
Continue ReadingA Quick Guide to Avoid Common Lifting Injuries
Are you looking to ramp up your fitness plan with some serious weightlifting? Or maybe you’re just a weekend warrior who is ready to tackle their next big home improvement project? Either way, you’ll need to tap into some key techniques that will allow you to go beyond your day to day capabilities and do some heavy lifting. Protecting Your Knees During A Squat One victim of improper lifting is the knee. An immense amount of pressure is put on this joint to support the weight and strength of the rest of your body during moments of intense lifting. Overuse
Continue ReadingHow to Communicate Your Pain
Have you ever had to explain the sound your car is making to a mechanic? If you’re not mechanically inclined you may have a tough time capturing the exact sound, therefore leaving the mechanic confused as to the source of the problem. We often run into this problem when we are in pain, too. We know it hurts, but we can’t quite identify where or what the pain is. Communication is key when working with a chiropractor and your path to recovery. Chiropractors Know What To Look For The pressure is not all on you. Chiropractors are trained to look for nonverbal
Continue ReadingOvercoming Reservations to Find Relief
Stephanie woke up one day and was unable to turn her head to the left. After years of chronic back pain and knee pain, her condition took a turn for the worse when she was unable to drive or do her job properly. It was at this point that Stephanie finally overcame her reservations about trusting others with her care and sought out a chiropractor. Under the guidance of a friend, she made an appointment with Dr. Katie McKown in Woodlawn, VA. “I was hesitant and nervous,” she recalls. “Dr. McKown and staff reassured me and made it easier for
Continue ReadingNavigating Your Insurance Claim
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
Continue ReadingGetting to The Root of a Lifetime of Migraines
When Amanda Terry walked into the offices of Tuck Clinic in Woodlawn to tell us about her experience with Dr. McKown, she was all smiles. You could tell that they had built a solid relationship that went far beyond a transactional treatment, but was built upon a foundation of trust and genuine care. However, we can imagine that her first visit to the office 5 years ago wasn’t quite as chipper. She had suffered from migraines since childhood and the issues only continued to worsen as she grew into adulthood. “I tried every medication and technique you could try –
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