The Wellness Blog
Is It Bad to Crack Your Back?
There are varying opinions about whether people should crack their knuckles, back, or other joints in the body. Many people wonder about the cracking noise that occurs during a chiropractic adjustment, and some claim that having a friend apply force to “crack their back” can produce the same effect. But what actually happens when your back cracks? And how is it different than treatment from a chiropractor? Let’s take a look. What Causes Your Back to Crack? A recent MRI study published in April 2015 in the journal PLOS ONE illustrates what happens when you crack your fingers: Your joints are
Continue ReadingBack-to-School Wellness Guide
From unhealthy school lunches to heavy backpacks, kids and parents face a variety of challenges to maintaining health and wellness during the school year. As summer draws to a close and classes begin, this back-to-school wellness guide can help you and your children navigate these challenges. Lighten the Load On the first day of school each year, kids comes home with new classmates, new teachers — and a heavier backpack. A heavy load can cause chronic back pain in children, so to avoid side-effects from weighty textbooks, encourage your children to leave their books in lockers or at home whenever
Continue ReadingIs Your Diet Contributing to Your Stress?
Comfort Foods Aren’t So Comforting in the Long Run Stress can cause us to turn to comfort foods — and drinks. But consoling ourselves with these carbohydrates, fats, salt, and caffeine can do more than tip the scales: Eating foods that boost cholesterol and sodium levels can increase the risk of heart attack or developing diabetes. Fatty, salty foods are not the best choice. There are healthy alternatives that actually reduce blood levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, while providing the comfort we crave during stressful periods. Which Foods Should You Avoid? When you consume comfort foods like chocolate or
Continue ReadingPartnering with Jen for Health, Happiness, and High Kicks
One of the highlights of working in healthcare is the opportunity to develop relationships with patients from all walks of life. Every patient that walks into one of our 11 Tuck Chiropractic locations has a unique story to tell. At our Bedford location, Jen is one of our regulars, seeing Dr. A.J LaBarbera to maintain a happy, healthy spine and joints. What initially began as a single chiropractic visit eight years ago, to treat sinus problems and lower back pain, has transformed into a long-lasting relationship. Not only are we able to consistently help her maintain overall joint and back
Continue ReadingStudy: Chiropractic Reduces Lower Back Pain in Pregnant Patients
A study published in April 2014 in Chiropractic and Manual Therapies found that after six months of chiropractic treatment, 90 percent of pregnant patients with lower back pain reported clinically significant improvement. The study was led by researcher Cynthia Peterson, a professor of chiropractic medicine at the University of Zurich in Switzerland. Researchers recruited 115 patients who were pregnant and experiencing lower back or pelvic pain who were eligible to receive manipulation therapy. Patients had been referred to a chiropractor by a gynecologist, who then recruited them for the study. Information was collected on how long each patient had been
Continue ReadingThe Benefits of an Anti-Inflammatory Diet
Inflammation is a part of your body’s natural defenses against disease. But sometimes it can cause more problems than it solves. Excess inflammation can cause heart disease, diabetes, stroke, vascular dementia, and other health problems. Your immune system responds to bacteria and other stimuli by creating inflammation, which can include symptoms like redness, heat, swelling, pain, and loss of function. When someone suffers from pain in their neck or low back, it is often a result of inflammation caused by injuries to the ligaments and muscles around the joints of the spine. In fact, the level of inflammation is usually
Continue ReadingChiropractic May Help Elderly Patients Avoid Falls
An overview of current research, published in the Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association, shows that chiropractic care may have a role in helping prevent falls in elderly patients who suffer from mechanical neck pain or dizziness. Elderly patients often experience nonspecific dizziness and chronic neck pain at the same time. Both of these symptoms are risk factors for falls, the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries in adults 65 and older. Falls can result in increased morbidity and complications. In the United States, one in three elders experiences a fall each year. Dizziness tends to increase with age. The
Continue ReadingGuide to Sleeping Positions
People spend roughly one-third of their lives sleeping. A good night’s sleep is a substantial factor in the quality of your overall health, and inadequate sleep can wreak havoc on you mentally and physically. The position you sleep in can have a huge impact on the quality of your sleep. So, what’s the best position for sleeping? The answer varies depending on individual health concerns such as back pain, neck pain, and acid reflux, to name a few. It also depends on which position is the most comfortable for you. Above all, you should avoid sleeping in any position that causes
Continue ReadingStudy: Manual Therapy Changes Processing of Pain
A study published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics in October 2014 used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to evaluate how the brain reacts to spinal manipulation used by chiropractors. Brain scans revealed that spinal manipulation and other types of manual therapy have an immediate effect on functional connectivity between regions of the brain that are responsible for processing pain. Previous research has established a connection between neurophysical changes in regional brain communication and manual therapy. Many patients seek chiropractic care for pain relief, and multiple studies testify that chiropractic treatment relieves pain in neck pain patients, lower back pain patients,
Continue ReadingThe Future of Health Care & Chiropractic Care
Last week four of our Tuck Chiropractic Doctors participated in the Virginia Health Care Conference that was centered on the future of healthcare. The theme was a timely and pertinent one, and one that Dr. Tuck, Dr. LaBarbera, Dr. Rathmann and Dr. Matthis were all excited about: “Transformation in the Health Care Industry: Accelerating Value and Innovation.” The perception and outlook on healthcare is often laced with pessimism and discouragement. This conference did an excellent job highlighting the promise and progress on the horizon. It was an honor for our team to be part of this pivotal healthcare conference and
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