Wake Up Pain-Free and Energized

Getting a good night’s sleep is something many of us struggle with. Sometimes, it is difficult to relax or our sleep gets disrupted. Getting enough sleep is important for more than just functioning throughout the day; it also has a major impact on our health. Sleep plays an essential biological role in recovery and energy conservation. It has also been shown that sleep is important for neural development, learning, memory, emotional regulation, cardiovascular and metabolic function, and cellular toxin removal.

Adults require on average 7–8 hours of sleep each night. However, there are some work-related factors that can have a negative impact on one’s length and quality of sleep, such as long or late shifts, travel, and daily responsibilities. Not getting enough sleep can cause excessive drowsiness, which has been associated with an increased risk of work-related injuries.

Your sleeping posture is also just as important as how you sit or stand, and it can have a great impact on your quality of sleep. This is referred to as “sleep ergonomics.” It is important to ensure that, as we rest, we are in a comfortable and safe position in order to prevent any additional strain to the body. Your body position, mattress, and pillow all contribute to sleep ergonomics.

Here are a few things to consider when it comes to sleep ergonomics:

Sleeping Positions to Reduce Back Pain:

How you sleep the majority of the time can have an impact on the quality of your sleep. However, there are a few tricks that can help improve your sleep without significantly disrupting your sleep habits. For example, if you sleep on your side, draw your legs up slightly towards your chest and put a pillow between your legs. You can also use a full-body length pillow for support.

If possible, try not to put weight on your arms; this can cause problems with circulation and place pressure on your nerves, which may cause a pins and needles sensation. If you sleep on your back, try placing a pillow under your knees to help maintain a neutral lower-back curvature. In general, sleeping on your stomach is discouraged; it can create unnecessary strain on your neck which may lead to compression of nerves and muscle tightness or pain. If sleeping on your front is still your preference, try placing a pillow under your pelvis and lower abdomen to reduce the strain.

Mattresses:

Sleeping on a good mattress and pillow is important to support the body and keep it in a neutral position, allowing it to rest and recover from the day’s work and activities. The mattress can help support the spine’s natural curves. It has been found that a sagging mattress can negatively affect sleep quality.

Choosing The Right Pillow:

Staying in one position for too long may create tension in the neck and low back. This makes your choice of pillow all the more important. An ergonomic pillow is designed to accommodate your preferred sleep position and minimize any tension that may result from prolonged time spent in one position. They can be made of foam to help retain your form and offer greater support. They also come in different sizes. The wrong-sized pillow can aggravate any neck or shoulder problems. Your ideally-fitted pillow should support the head, neck, and shoulders, and should adapt to the different contours of these areas—this will optimize your sleeping position throughout the night.

Being more aware of sleep ergonomics can help improve your sleep, reduce pain caused by poor sleeping positions, and allow you to wake up with more energy the following day. Re-evaluate your sleep ergonomics and see if it makes a difference in your life.

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Who do you know who is pregnant?

Pregnancy is a time of joy and exciting anticipation, but for some the experience is colored by pain and discomfort. During pregnancy women undergo many structural and hormonal changes. These changes effect the spine, nerves, joints, ligaments, connective tissues, center of gravity and stability.

Chiropractic care ensures the spinal column, pelvis and related structures are balanced, moving easily and free of vertebral subluxations. When free of vertebral subluxations, the mother-to-be experiences a greater level of comfort and can better handle the rigor of childbirth.

The benefits of chiropractic care during pregnancy:

There are many things pregnant women worry about: staying pregnant, carrying the baby to full term, morning sickness, the baby developing normally, backaches, leg pain and if their labor will be safe and (hopefully) easy.

Can chiropractic care help ease their minds? Chiropractic care helps pregnant and birthing women in a number of ways. Spinal adjustments on pregnant women provide corrective care which help maintain pregnancy, control vomiting during pregnancy, deliver full-­term infants with ease and produce healthier infants.

It also improves the baby’s birth position. Pre-natal chiropractic techniques release stress on the pelvis and uterus, helping the unborn child to turn and position itself properly for a healthy birth presentation.

Advising expecting mothers

Doctors of chiropractic can also offer nutrition, ergonomic, and exercise advice to help a woman enjoy a healthy pregnancy. Nearly all drugs and medications can cause fetal damage or malformations. It is important for pregnant women to avoid them as much as possible.

Chiropractic’s drug-free approach is why it is valued during pregnancy. Chiropractic care can also help after childbirth. In the eight weeks following labor and delivery, the ligaments that loosened begin to tighten up again. Joint problems brought on during pregnancy should be treated before the ligaments return to their pre-pregnancy state. This will prevent muscle tension, headaches, rib discomfort, and shoulder problems.

Contact a chiropractor for information about the benefits of chiropractic care during pregnancy.

Spinal manipulations reduce side effects

If you have a headache, you’re not alone. Nine out of ten Americans suffer from headaches. Some are occasional, some frequent, some are dull and throbbing, and some cause debilitating pain and nausea. Research shows that spinal manipulation—the primary form of care provided by doctors of chiropractic—may be an effective treatment option for migraines, tension headaches and headaches that originate in the neck. A report released in 2009 by researchers at the Duke University Evidence-­‐Based Practice Center in Durham, NC, found that spinal manipulation resulted in almost immediate improvement for those headaches that originate in the neck, and had significantly fewer side effects and longer-­‐lasting relief of tension-­‐type headache than a commonly prescribed medication.

What Can You Do?

The ACA suggests the following:

• If you spend a large amount of time in one fixed position, such as in front of a computer, on a sewing machine, typing or reading, take a break and stretch every 30 minutes to an hour. The stretching should take your head and neck through a comfortable range of motion.
• Ÿ Low-impact exercise may help relieve the pain associated with primary headaches. However, if you are prone to dull, throbbing headaches, avoid heavy exercise.
• Engage in such activities as walking and low-­‐impact aerobics. Ÿ Avoid teeth clenching. The teeth should never touch, except when swallowing. Ÿ This results in stress at the temporomandibular joints (TMJ)—the two joints that connect your jaw to your skull—leading to TMJ irritation and a form of tension headaches. Ÿ
• Drink at least eight 8-­‐ounce glasses of water a day to help avoid dehydration, which can lead to headaches.

What Can a Doctor of Chiropractic Do?

Your doctor of chiropractic may do one or more of the following if you suffer from a primary headache:

• Ÿ Perform chiropractic adjustments to improve spinal function and alleviate stress. Ÿ
• Provide nutritional advice, recommending a change in diet and perhaps the addition of supplements. Ÿ
• Offer advice on posture, ergonomics (work postures), exercises and relaxation techniques.

This advice should help to relieve the recurring joint irritation and tension in the muscles of the neck and upper back.

If you’re experiencing headaches contact us for a consultation.