Active Family Chiropractic

Empowering Your Health

Contact us at (518) 452-2800

How do I tell others about CBP chiropractic when they come from a medical background?

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That is a little bit difficult because most people that either have a doctor in the family or are in the healthcare field, they have very strong opinions on healthcare and on what’s right and what’s not right. Just like anyone with strong opinions it might be very difficult for them to see your opinion or to consider something different.

If you have someone in your family who you would like to have some chiropractic care done and they don’t have any support at home, is to call Active Family Chiropractic. When they call the office they can ask questions and Dr. B will go over what happens at the office and the benefits of chiropractic care and put any fears they might have at bay.

Chiropractic care is safe and effective and it helps thousands of people every day. It is non-surgical and non-medication. So for people who have strong religious beliefs or want more of a holistic approach, it’s worth looking into seeing a chiropractic practitioner.

If you have strong opposition at home to chiropractic care, call the office. or do the research and be your own health advocate. It’s important to not just follow what someone says blindly. Ask questions and make the best decision for yourself and those you care for.

For more information ask Dr. B at [email protected]

Is it flu season or sugar season.

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A lot of people are hearing on the radio and on television that this is flu season. The flu is around all year long, it isn’t just here during one season. The thing is that the other months of the year people make better health choices. That means that they are making wiser choices on what they eat and they tend to exercise more. They also get a lot more natural sunlight which gives them natural Vitamin D and they tend to drink more water because they are hot.

When the weather starts to get colder, people start to change their habits. They don’t exercise as much, their water consumption goes down, they aren’t seeing as much sunshine and they start to fall off of good habits like eating healthy. People start to eat more comfort foods which are laden with refined sugars, such as Pumpkin Spice lattes, hot chocolate, cakes, and cookies.

When you look at the holidays, the major holidays start in October, during Halloween. Every holiday after that encourages some sort of sugar eating. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and Easter are all major sugar holidays. During these holidays there is a lot of encouragement to eat a lot of pies, cakes, and sugar.

The problem with sugar is that it destroys your immune system functions. It actually suppresses your immune system for 6 hours after eating it. When your immune system is suppressed, it is not working at optimum levels, your immune system is distracted from other things, other jobs it normally has like identifying the flu virus and getting rid of it before it becomes a problem for you physically.

This is what happens in the summer. When you are eating less sugar and are making better health choices your immune system has the opportunity to fight off the flu virus and remove it from your body.

The flu is around all year long, so why the press for the flu vaccine now, during this time of the year? It is because people are making bad health choices. The medical community knows that people are going to be over-consuming sugar in all forms and they are trying to stop an epidemic of the flu.

Should I get the flu shot?

It is a totally personal preference. If you are taking care of your body, making sure you’re eating right, taking vitamin D, drinking enough water and getting adjusted regularly, you should have no need for the flu shot. If you choose to not take care of your body, don’t get regular adjustments, and over-indulge then you might want to consider it.

The biggest take away is that you need to make your health a priority in order to stay healthy. During this holiday season if you know that you’re going to be eating sweets, pies, and cakes, moderate your intake a taste of each dessert will do. You don’t have to consume the whole pie!

Make sure that if you’re going to eat sweets you are drinking more water, getting more sleep and try to get some exercise in. Also, try to schedule an adjustment with your CBP doctor and get your spine right for the holidays.

For more information ask Dr. B at [email protected]

Do Chiropractic adjustments cause strokes?

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As a Chiropractor, Dr. B gets asked this question all the time. Adjustments do not cause strokes. Let’s start there.

There have been a few instances where there have been pre-existing conditions, meaning that the patient had problems with the arteries in their neck, that were undiagnosed problems. The patient then had a negative response to the adjustment, whether it had been a stroke or something of that nature. The problem is that their arteries already had the issue and it created something of a ticking time bomb.

People have strokes every day. The only time it’s ever linked with Chiropractic adjustments is right after a Chiropractic adjustment. This happens when the arteries in the person’s neck are already compromised. This happens by the virtue of the person’s choices such as what they eat. If you are eating really bad foods that clog your arteries it will lead to blockages which can cause strokes.

People have strokes in this country all the time. It’s the second leading cause of preventable death in the United States. However, it is only brought to the media’s attention when it is in consort with a Chiropractic adjustment. It is very rare when it does happen.

Chiropractic care is not dangerous, it is extremely safe. Active Family Chiropractic goes an extra step to ensure that there is no way that they could create a problem with someone like, inducing a stroke, by performing a very thorough exam to test for the compromise of those arteries. They also take x-rays which can show if a ligament is calcified and putting pressure on the arteries. They make sure to take care and note if there are any pre-existing issues within the patient before any adjustments are done.

Chiropractics adjustments are done every day all over the world and there are so many people who benefit from Chiropractic care. Don’t be afraid to get an adjustment it’s one of the safest and best things you can do for your body. So call your local CBP Chiropractor and make an appointment today!

For more information contact Dr. B at [email protected]

What is the difference between Correction and Pain Management in regards to Chiropractic Care?

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No two Chiropractors are made the same. Much like there are specializations in other branches of the medical field so too are there in Chiropractic medicine. Chiropractic Biophysics focuses care on correction while the vast majority of Chiropractors focus on patch care or pain management.

So what is the difference between correcting and pain management?

Correction is fixing the problem that’s there. Pain management or pain relief is only addressing the problem until the pain goes away but still leaving the problem there to wreak havoc another day. Another way you can think about this is short-term, (Patch care chiropractic) versus long-term (CBP Chiropractic).

Short-term would be relief care, where you would leave with no pain, so you think you’re ok and you stop doing good things for yourself like Chiropractic care. Versus continuing to do good things for yourself like continued Chiropractic care and addressing the real issue which will give you a better quality of life in the long run.

For example, you wouldn’t exercise to lose 5 lbs, and once you’ve lost the 5 lbs you’re done exercising. You probably wouldn’t because you know it’s good for your body. The same thing with Chiropractic care, most people only use it when they have a b0dy signal that tells them something is wrong. However, they should use it even when you don’t have your body signaling you to do so. You don’t always feel problems until your body has had enough.

How do I prevent issues in my body from happening?

Make an appointment with your CBP Chiropractor. They will help you to determine what you need to heal your body from the inside out.

For more information ask Dr. B @ [email protected]

 

Back to School: Backpack Safety

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It’s that time of year again when kids, teen, and adults are going back to school and that means book bags! So what is the right way to carry your books?

Safety First

Backpack safety is very important, especially as children are growing. They are carrying heavy textbooks to and from class and they should only be carrying 15% of the child’s total weight on their back. So if they have more than that you really have to look at re-evaluating that weight by taking things out or considering an alternative way to cart their books around, such as a rolling backpack.

The Correct way to wear a backpack

How you hold your backpack is important as well. You must make sure to carry the backpack with both straps on and close to the body, not hanging down. The backpack also shouldn’t be bigger than the child or adult wearing it. In addition, if you can find a backpack that has a hip belt attached to it, this can help redistribute the weight from your back and shoulders to your hips. This can make the pack feel lighter.

If you have a backpack and typically wear it by only one strap this can cause structural problems over time. Because you are adding additional weight to one side of your body the other side of your body will try to counter the weight creating an imbalance.

What about Messenger bags or Totes?

You want to make sure that for these types of bags you are equally wearing the weight. If you have been carrying your messenger bag over your right shoulder for the past hour switch to the left for the next hour. Create balance so that your body can function at optimum levels.

How do I know if I’m wearing my back the right way?

If you have questions about the proper way to wear your bag come into Active Family Chiropractic. For the month of September AFC will be conducting complementary ergonomic evaluations. This isn’t only for how to wear your backpack but they can be applied to how your workstation is set up or how you sit and type. Really anything that could use an ergonomic overhaul. AFC will give you an ergonomic evaluation and give you easy suggestions to help support your body.

So call and make an appointment at 518-452-2800 or send us an email at [email protected]

 

Should Kids in Gymnastics Be Adjusted?

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Gymnastics create a lot of trauma for the spine when the children are learning how to do the jumps and tumbles. They wind up putting a lot of extra strain on their bodies along with the falls that happen. This can really cause a lot of misalignments in the spine.

Gymnastics can be very hard on the body. Many times a child will fall while learning how to tumble or jump and those falls can lead to misalignments and subluxations. In addition, over-training or over-development of areas can affect the development of muscles and can cause a muscular imbalance which can lead to injury down the road.

If a child has been involved in gymnastics at any stage they should see a Chiropractor to be assessed for subluxations. The assessment at a CBP Chiropractor will involve a spinal check-up, exams, and x-rays. So make an appointment for your tumbler with a CBP Chiropractor and ensure that your child has good spinal alignment.

For more information ask Dr. B at [email protected]

Why Won’t My Child Sit Up Straight?

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All of us has been told as a kid to sit up straight. Did you find it impossible to do? It always seemed more comfortable to slouch, doesn’t it? However, you always see parents telling their children to sit up straight.

Why won’t my Child Sit up Straight?

A child won’t sit up straight for a number of reasons. Usually, it’s because the child has something wrong with the structure of their spine. Because of that, it is impossible for them to sit up straight, no matter how much you try to encourage them to do so. A lot of the habits they do every day, such as using handheld devices, playing video games, sitting slumped at school, all those things can lead to bad posture habits. However, usually, they stem from the structure itself, because we know structural abnormalities start in-utero. They can also happen at birth.

That is why we encourage parents to have their babies and children spinally assessed because they are acquiring subluxations at birth which can influence their posture, which can then influence how they present themselves later on in life as young children, teenagers, and adults.

Are there any exercises that my child can do to help them sit up straighter?

You want to encourage your children to have good posture as they are growing. However, most adults don’t know what good posture is. You see it every day. Parents let their children sit slumped while playing games or using their handheld device for hours on end and don’t realize that this is bad for them. The first step is to understand what normal is and the only way to know what normal is is to see a CBP chiropractor and get a check-up. Regardless of whether or not they have pain every person should have a spinal check-up because that is how you learn what “normal” is. That is how you learn how to identify good posture versus bad posture, not only in yourself but in others.

Is there potential for a child’s growth to be stunted from poor posture habits?

Yes, you can see that the child may grow unevenly. One leg could be longer than the other or their bones will grow in the direction of which they are slumping. Now we’re seeing because of the influx of handheld devices, forward head position on a lot of young children that never existed before. Because these kids have never spent so much time looking at these devices before, it’s actually pulling their head forward and creating structural changes. This is something that previously had only been seen in adults.

How can we correct this?

The first thing to do would be to bring your children to see a CBP Chiropractor for a check-up. Having an understanding of how your child’s spine is structured is very important to identify any structural abnormalities. Knowing to restrict time on handheld devices and encouraging your children to have good posture should be in addition to your CBP care, so make an appointment today.

For more information contact Dr. B @ [email protected]

What is whiplash?

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Have you ever been in a car accident and your neck tightens up and starts to ache? You could have whiplash. How do you know if you have whiplash or just a neck ache?

What is Whiplash?

Whiplash is a medical term that has been given to somebody who has been, in most instances, in a motor vehicle accident where they are rear-ended. Their head is whipped forward first and then into a quick backwards movement. It’s very easy to get whiplash it only takes a trauma of 5 miles an hour!

Can you get whiplash in other ways besides in a car accident?

People can also whiplash themselves with bicycles accidents or sports injuries, such as lifting weights really fast which can whiplash the neck. There are lots of ways you can get whiplash, however, the idea is that the actual neck structure gets whipped forward and into a backward motion quickly. Unfortunately, that results in a lot of neck muscle injury and the neck muscles get very traumatized and sore. In these instances, the patient just has to rest and let the muscles heal.

A big misconception is that the muscular issues that arise from whiplash cause spinal tension or spinal subluxation. You can get a subluxation from tight musculature after an accident but it is not something that is typically the cause of subluxation. Usually, your spine will dictate what your muscles are doing so if your spine gets a subluxation then your muscles will become irritated. Whereas whiplash is one of those things where the muscle is actually pulling violently on the structure which can absolutely cause a subluxation.

Should I see a CBP Chiropractor after an accident?

It’s very important for people who have been in a car accident to be evaluated by a CBP Chiropractor. Even if it was years ago, it can actually change the shape of your spine which can be very dangerous. If you change the structure of your spine in a whiplash you can put pressure on your nerves and your body function can deteriorate. It can prevent your range of motion permanently depending on how severe the accident was.

There are patients that see Dr. B who have had whiplash accidents from years ago who still have troubles from them specifically with symptoms such as allergies and asthma. Each person reacts differently.

Make an appointment.

No matter if you have been in a car accident or maybe you just got hit in the head with a pillow by a friend, many of us have experienced some form of whiplash in our lifetime. It is important to get a checkup by a CBP Chiropractor. Seeing a CBP doctor will help correct imbalances in your structure so that you can live a healthier life and that pain the neck will go away.

For more information ask Dr. B @ [email protected]

 

Why do people sometimes pee when they laugh?

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Have you ever laughed so hard you peed your pants…just a little? Why is it that the older you get the more frequently that happens? So why do people pee?

It’s more common than you think.

It is a common problem as people get older, especially for women. In particular, women who have had children, they tend to have trouble with bladder control. Sometimes, it’s structural, meaning that there was some damage done to the body parts from pregnancy, labor, and delivery. But often times it’s not that at all.

The nerves that control the bladder comes from the lower back area. They control not only the bladder itself but the muscles around the bladder to help it function properly. If you don’t have the right structure in your low back it can put pressure on your lumbar nerves that control your bladder and functionality.

If this is happening to me, where can I start to correct it?

If you are having issues like that, one of the first places to start is by seeing your CBP (Chiropractic Biophysics) Chiropractor and getting a check up on your lower back.  The doctor will check your low back structure to make sure that is normal because if the nerve pressure is great enough it will absolutely create problems with the function of the bladder, thereby leading to a small amount of urine coming out when you laugh or sneeze or jump.

Nobody really talks about it but it does happen to people a lot. It’s a very common problem that can be easily solved.

Are there exercises I can do along with seeing my CBP Chiropractor?

Kegel exercises are very helpful because they help to strengthen the pelvic floor for men and women. Also, women should consider buying Ben Wa balls. They are recommended by Gynecologists. The way they work is when inserted they give your pelvic muscles something to contract against, therefore making the Kegel exercises more effective. Please consult your OBGYN before use.

The best exercises are those prescribed by your CBP chiropractor. Starting with a checkup to make sure that your lower back is in alignment and that your lumbar nerves are not compressed and following up with exercises to help strengthen your pelvic floor will ward off incontinence.

For more information contact Dr. B at [email protected]

Can the weather cause migraines?

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Have you ever been going about your day and gradually feel an intense pressure headache come on? Have you noticed that the wind has picked up or the air might feel heavier? Changes in atmospheric pressure have been thought to be a trigger for inducing migraines. According to the Mayo clinic, weather may cause imbalances in brain chemicals, including serotonin, which can lead to migraines. However, there is still no scientific proof that the weather can trigger a migraine.

As a CBP practitioner, Dr. B. has seen it a lot. If there is a storm coming in or some kind of pressure system, such as a tornado or high winds, people tend to have more trouble with headaches and migraines. She believes that there is a correlation but nothing has been proven, scientifically, yet.

If the weather can contribute to migraine occurrence, then what is a migraine?

A migraine headache is a complicated type of a headache. It usually involves hormonal reactions in the body. Sometimes it can be triggered by stress and it’s a different complex of headaches, a different complex of symptoms that attribute to a traditional stress headache.

Can anything be done to curb or prevent migraines? 

One of the best ways to combat headaches and migraines is to receive regular adjustments from a Chiropractic Biophysics practitioner. Having proper spinal alignment leads to better nervous system function and that can help your body to function better. It can help to combat any of these weird weather-related occurrences that might interrupt your body’s natural flow.

What type of subluxation would trigger a migraine?

The top vertebra C1, the atlas, which rests at the base of the skull, is usually responsible for a migraine if it is a physical stressor because it has a direct attachment to the small muscles at the base of the head called the suboccipitals. When those get irritated they can compress what is called the Vagus nerve, that comes out of your brain, travels through the suboccipitals and into the stomach. This can lead to nausea, seeing auras, light sensitivity, and noise sensitivity, those pre-migraine situations.

Can migraines be caused by something other than subluxations and the weather?

Migraines are not always caused by subluxations in the neck, but subluxations are absolutely contributory. Stress is another factor. Both physical and emotional stress can play a role. Stress affects your hormones. It changes your hormones. When you are stressed your body pumps out a lot of adrenaline, which releases more cortisol, which is really bad for your body. Cortisol is the stuff that holds on to fat cells and it lays fat depositions in your arteries. Stress is a very dangerous thing that needs to be managed and it can certainly contribute to migraines.

Weather for some people is a stressor. Especially if they do not like rain or snow or sun. If there is something happening in their environment that they do not like, it can create stress which can lead to migraines.

Do you experience migraines?

Changes in the weather can be a stressor for many and for some unlucky few, it can lead to migraines. If you’re one of these people, you should get regular CBP adjustments. Not only will they allow your nervous system to work more efficiently but they will minimize the severity and frequency of your migraines. If you’re not already seeing a CBP chiropractor, get a checkup and see how a CBP chiropractor can help you.

For more information contact Dr. B @ [email protected]

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