Category Archives: Miscellaneous

Are you ready for the new year

The Next Best Thing

New Years is upon us. It’s the time of year when most people make some sort of resolution and most of the time, they are health related. We all know how that goes, by February you’ll probably forget what the resolution even was. Let’s be honest, we all suck at new years resolutions. I want to present you with another idea. I call it the next best thing.

Take 5-10 minutes and sit in silence. No phones, computers, kids or other distractions and ask yourself this question: “What is the next best thing I can do for my health?” I bet you won’t even need 5-10 minutes. Most people can answer this question within a minute or so.

Intuitively, we already know the answer to this question. The answer will be different for everyone, and it should be. We are all at a different point in our lives and health journey. Don’t get your answers from social media, or your spouse, or TV, or even from this blog post. Get if from within you. You already have the answer.

What is the next best thing you can do to improve your health in 2023. Focus on one thing. Instead of saying I want to lose weight, what is the one singular change you can make that will lead to losing weight? Something like, I will stop snacking after dinner is much easier to focus on and will lead to significant weight loss. I will stop drinking pop, I will eliminate desserts, I will give up french fries. Pick one small thing that will lead to the big thing.

Most people give up on their resolutions because they are too big and lofty. Start small.

What Next best Thing Should I Pick

Don’t be afraid to pick a next best thing that deals with mental, emotional or spiritual health. All of these are important and connected to physical health. Next best things like, starting marriage counseling, joining a men’s/women’s group, praying, meditating, reading one book a month are all great health goals too.

Physical health goals are also a great choice too. So many people say they want to exercise more. That is very vague. I will walk 3 mornings a week, I will go to the gym 3 times a week, I will do 50 pushups everyday. Remember, small things lead to big things. Chunk it down to bite size pieces and start chewing on those!

The list is endless. There are so many small, next best things you can choose from. Go within yourself and see what your inuition is telling you.

Write it down, commit to it, and maybe even tell a close friend to help keep you accountable.

I get excited at this time of the year. I love a new chapter, a fresh start. Let’s work together to make this our best year yet! I’m on your team and would love to help you in any way I can. The next best thing will bring you so much closer to a better you. Good luck!!

Yours in Health,

Dr. Steven Bourdage DC

Chicago Lincolnwood Chiropractor | Bourdage Chiropractic

Movement For Health

How much movement do you have in your day? Do you get your 10,000 steps a day? Do you workout or exercise? These are questions I like to ask of my patients because movement is so important, and most of us do not get enough of it. Movement for health is imperative. You cannot reach your full potential without movement.

The human body is a perfectly designed machine. And this machine is designed to move. Never has there been a time in evolution where we have been as inactive as we are currently. We used to walk miles per day just to get to our food or water sources. We used to have to carry things. We used to have to squat (to poop). Our jobs used to be phsically demanding. Now we go from our beds to the kitchen table to our car and then to our desk. Because of the comforts of modern society our health is suffering! We are softer, more sick and less happy than ever before. It is my opinion that this is because of our lack of movement in our day.

There is a great book called “The Comfort Crisis” by Michael Easter that I highly recommend that dives into this on a deeper level. BOOK – Michael Easter (eastermichael.com)

What to Do?

If you spend one hour a day exercising, that is still 23 hours of your day that you are sedentary. In my opinion that is still considered a sedentary lifestyle! I’m not saying you should not workout, but what I am saying is you have to find ways to incorporate movement into your day throughout the day. The only way to do this is to be intentional about it.

Some examples of things you can do are:

Park further away

If it’s a mile or less away find another way to get there besides your car.

Take the stairs instead of an escalator or elevator. (only 2% of the population take the stairs if there is an escalator nearby) Be a 2%er!

Do some pushups while you wait for your coffee to brew or your shower to warm-up.

Walk around the block while you wait for your oil change or yours kids activities to finish.

Play at the park with your kids.

Learn a new physical skill like a cartwheel, handstand, archery, stand up paddleboarding, kayaking, rock climbing, salsa dancing etc… the list and possibilities are endless.

Movement is Not OnlyExercise

When I ask my patients about their movement they often answer me with the status of how often they go to the gym. Like we talked about above, movement doesn’t only happen in the gym. As a matter of fact, the movement that is happening outside of the gym is more important! Depending on what you do in the gym it may not even be that functional. Functional movement is movement that occurs that is useful in everyday life. Many exercises at the gym are very unnatural and not a pattern of movement that even happen in everyday life.

Let’s take a look at the bench press exercise. How often in real life do we have to lay on a flat surface and push a weight or object away from us? Pretty much never! But many people do this exercise in search of becoming stronger or having a better-looking chest. I find for many people that excessive bench pressing causes more problems than creating a benefit. Shoulder pain, poor posture and neck pain can result from excessive bench pressing. It doesn’t jive with our modern lifestyles which already create excessively rounded shoulders and tight chest muscles.

If you need help finding ways to add more movement into your daily routine, let’s talk. When you are in the office for your next adjustment I can help. I love assisting people in finding ways to better their health. Better movement for health is the goal, I can help you achieve it.

Yours in Health,

Dr. Steven Bourdage DC

Lincolnwood Chiropractor

Chiropractor for Low Back Pain

The number one thing that brings people into my office is low back pain. Seeing a Chiropractor for low back pain should be your first choice when trying to find relief. At Bourdage Chiropractic in Lincolnwood, IL we have great success in helping people who are suffering from low back pain. There are many options when choosing how to deal with your low back pain. Chiropractor, acupuncture, massage, physical therapy, family doctor, orthopedic doctor, etc… Chiropractors specialize in discovering why you are having the pain and correcting that so not only do you feel better, but we create a long-term correction to the issue.

At our office, if your condition indicates it, we will take X-rays and do a thorough exam to determine what is the cause of your low back pain. Once we put the pieces of the puzzle together, we determine what will be the best course of treatment to correct your low back pain as efficiently as possible.

Low back pain can be very debilitating. I’ve had many people carried into my office because they were in so much pain they could not walk. Many times, people who are experiencing 10/10 pain on the pain scale don’t think a chiropractor can help because the intensity of their pain is so high. These people often times go to the ER and are treated with muscle relaxers and pain killers. This type of treatment may lessen the pain, but it does very little for fixing the problem. Why not come see us where we can get you pain relief and also start the healing process to get you back to normal.

Why we are Different

A part of the healing process is the financial aspects of the care you receive. Health insurance can be very confusing. We will let you know the costs for your care upfront, so there are no surprises. I’ve heard more than enough stories from patients about how they have all this treatment and care from providers and then months later receive a big bill in the mail that was a total surprise to the patient. I hate that as much as you do. We will discuss the finances of your care upfront to make sure there are no surprises!

Chicagoland Chiropractic for Pain Relief

If you live in the Chicagoland area, Bourdage Chiropractic is a great option for you. We are located right off the 94 expressway and can be reached easily from anywhere in the Chicago area. I have many patients that come from the far north suburbs, downtown Chicago and even the western suburbs. As of this writing, August 2022 we also have appointments available on Saturdays for your convenience.

Request an appointment right here

Yours in Health,

Dr. Steven Bourdage

Lincolnwood Chiropractor

Chiropractic for a Herniated Disc

Have you been diagnosed with a herniated disc? Have you ever wondered if chiropractic for a herniated disc can help? The answer is a resounding yes! I’d like to share a success story from our office at Bourdage Chiropractic to help prove my point.

Betty came to our office after suffering with symptoms from her herniated disc for about 6 weeks. She was having lower back pain which was radiating into her left hip and leg all the way down to her knee. She rated the pain as a 9/10 on the pain scale and was visibly uncomfortable in all positions. Walking was with a limp, she could not sit still longer than 4-5 minutes and hadn’t slept a full night through since the pain began. To say she was suffering was an understatement. She was miserable!

Before coming into our office she did see her medical doctor who prescribed pain killers, a heavy nerve blocking medication and recommended she schedule a back surgery. Betty scheduled her surgery but it was for 2 months out. In the meantime, she decided to come to our office to see if she could at least get some relief before the surgery. She could not live like this for another 2 months!

Chiropractic to the Rescue

After reviewing her history and performing a thorough exam we were ready to start helping Betty with her herniated disc. Our treatments consisted of Flexion and Distraction, which is a technique to decompress the spinal discs in the lower back, spinal adjustments, some soft tissue work on the muscles around the spine and advice for how to be as comfortable as possible for everyday activities. After Betty’s first adjustment she reported an immediate reduction in pain by about 10%. That may not sound like much, but for someone to have any reduction in pain after so long of suffering brings hope! Hope is an important part of the healing process.

After one month of treatment Betty began decreasing her medications with her doctor’s approval and was walking normally! The pain in her leg had turned from sharp, burning pain to a dull ache or soreness! Her Doctor still recommended she have surgery even though she was improving. I advised her to wait, we still have another month until the surgery anyways, let’s see what happens.

2 weeks after we had that conversation, and 6 weeks after starting chiropractic in our office she cancelled her surgery appointment. She was doing so much better and functioning in her everyday life normally! Some would say it seemed like a miracle, but the truth is, it’s chiropractic. The human body knows how to heal itself, sometimes it just needs some help to optimize that healing.

What about you?

If you are suffering from a herniated disc, or if a loved one is, have you considered chiropractic care? There are times when surgery is needed, but many times it is not. If you have been told you need surgery, have you had a second opinion? If you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment, please call or text us at 773-545-9379.

Or, click here: https://bourdagechiropractic.com/appointment-request/ to request an appointment:

Yours in Health,

Dr. Steven Bourdage

Lincolnwood Chiropractor

Chiropractic and Physical Therapy

Many people often ask me, what is the difference between chiropractic and physical therapy? People who are experiencing pain get confused on whether they should see a physical therapist or a chiropractor. I’d like to dive into this topic more with this blog post. Let’s get started with a description of each, how they are similar, how they differ, and which may be the better option for you based on your needs.

Chiropractic

The main focus of chiropractic is the spine. We also work on extremity issues with great success. The basis of our technique though, is spinal health. The human spine is designed to keep us upright (think posture) and to protect the nervous system. Any pain or injury or change to the spine can affect how you feel and how you function. The chiropractor’s job is to find spinal restrictions or injuries and restore movement and position to those areas. By doing this, the body feels better, the body heals better, and the body functions better. Our philosophy is that the body is self-healing. My job as a chiropractor is to help your body heal the best it can through a healthy spial column. Chiropractic is famous for helping people get out of pain, and it is also used to help promote overall health and wellbeing.

Physical Therapy

Physical therapists work to help people feel better by addressing musculoskeletal issues through the modalities of stretching, strengthening and sometimes using passive techniques like laser, ultrasound, dry needling, etc… Usually, PT is performed for a set amount of time or visits to restore the patient back to the state they desire, which is typically pain free. Once the patient is pain free, they stop physical therapy.

Which is best for me?

It really depends on what you are looking for. If you want an overall wholistic approach to improving your body’s ability to heal itself than chiropractic is for you. If you are looking for a biomechanical approach to your pain than PT would be a good choice. It does not have to be an either-or decision. Many people choose to use both! There is not a right or wrong answer when it comes to chiropractic and physical therapy. I recommend finding which style you prefer. Most importantly is finding the person you resonate with and enjoy working with, no matter which profession they are in.

Yours in Health,

Dr. Bourdage

Hollow Holds for Core

Hollow Holds for Core

Hollow holds for core are one of the best exercises you can do to protect your spine. Check out this video for a demonstration:

A good test of core strength is if you can hold this position for one minute. Like I stated in the video, if you cannot hold this for one minute, take your time building up to it. 20 second holds will quickly turn into 40 second holds. One minute will not be far behind.

You will notice while you do this exercise, your lower back will want to come off of the ground. Fight that urge as best as you can. This exercise gets its benefit from you keeping your lower back firmly planted into the ground. When done properly you will feel you whole body shaking and that is good. The shaking is your muscles becoming stronger. If you feel pain or discomfort in your lower back while you do this exercise, please stop and discuss with me during your next chiropractic appointment.

Injury Proof

The benefits of a strong core are numerous. A strong core not only helps you look good for bathing suit season, but it also helps to create better posture, have less pain, and prevent future injury. Many of the injuries I see in my chiropractic office here in Chicago are because of weak core musculature.

The core is much more than just the abdomen muscles. The core is truly the integration of the body as a whole. How your body is all tied together. The core helps connect the upper body to the lower body so it can all work in unison. A strong united body comes from a strong core.

Hollow holds for core, give them a try and reap the benefits of developing a rock solid foundation!

Yours in Health,

Dr. Steven Bourdage

chiropractic is natural

Chiropractic is Natural

Why so many people are drawn to chiropractic is because chiropractic is natural. Chiropractors don’t add or subtract from your body. We work with you in your current state. We help you to improve your health by optimizing your structure.

The body’s structure dictates how it functions. If you have poor structure in the form of bad posture, tension, arthritis, poor walking pattern and/or subluxations in your spinal column you will not be at 100% health.

You want 100% health don’t you? I find most everyone answers yes to this question. Health is the new wealth. If you do not have your health, does it really matter how much wealth you have?

Do you maintain your car? Do you change your oil regularly? If your tires are worn out and winter is coming, wouldn’t you change your tires? Do you flush the fluids, change the spark plugs, etc…? Why do you do these things? The answer as you know is to extend the useful life of their automobile. Do you maintain your body as good as you do your car? Do you perform body maintenance at all?

Chiropractic is such an easy and effective way to keep your body running at it’s peak. It is one of the simplest things you can add into your routine that will pay dividens over the years.

Chiropractic is natural, safe, effective and a cost-effective way to optimize your health!

If you have questions about chiropractic and how you can best start incorporating this great service into your health improvement schedule, please give us a call or email and I would be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.

Dr. Steven Bourdage DC

Click https://bourdagechiropractic.com/appointment-request/ to request an appointment.

Do you have a short leg?

Have you been feeling off balance lately? Do you have lower back pain? Do you have a short leg?

I always look at my patients legs/feet when they are laying on the adjusting table. I learn a lot about what is going on with a person’s spine from observing their legs.

When one leg is shorter than the other, like the picture on the left, it tells me there is something going on with the person’s spine that needs to be addressed. This patient you see in the picture has been suffering from lower back pain for the past 3 months with no relief.

I discovered he needed an adjustment at L5 which is the very bottom of his spine right above the sacrum. After I adjusted his back I took the picture on the right. You can see how much more balance this created in his body and spine.

What Causes a short leg?

This question is not so simple to answer. The short answer is that it is usually many different factors. Things like poor posture, habitual leg crossing, a fall on the tailbone, a lower extremity injury that changes how you walk, muscle spasms, sciatica, or even a tight muscle or neck injury can do it.

The key is to have a trained chiropractor examine your spine to determine why this condition presents itself and then more importantly, correct that issue.

Very rarely is the shorter leg due to one leg being anatomically shorter than the other. It is most commonly a neuromuscular issue causing this problem.

If you are feeling out of balance or if you have noticed one pant leg doesn’t line up with the other one (common things people tell me in my office) then it’s time to get it checked out!

Yours in Health,

Dr. Steve Bourdage DC

what's that cracking noise?

What’s that cracking noise?

What’s that cracking noise? Does it hurt?

These are two of the most common questions people ask me when they begin chiropractic care in our office. Let’s dive into these two questions.

  1. What is that cracking noise when I get adjusted? The most simple answer is that it is a release of air pressure. When you have a spinal joint that is not moving freely like it is designed to, air can get trapped within the joint space. When we apply a specific, chiropractic adjustment to that joint it creates more movement and releases the trapped air. Not all adjustments, and not all people will experience cracking. The sound is not a sign of a positive result. What is most important during and after an adjustment is that there is more movement and better positioning. This is the sign of a successful adjustment.
  2. Does it hurt? Again the short answer here is no, it does not hurt. Most often it actually feels really good to have an adjustment. You can see a lot of videos of people being adjusted on TikTok and other various social media platforms. If you have never been adjusted they may look painful to see. Once you experience an adjustment for yourself you will see how great they actually feel.

Do you have any other questions that we can answer for you? If so please feel free to email me at Drbourdage@bourdagechiropractic or give us a call at 773-545-9379.

Yours in Health,

Dr. Steven Bourdage DC

Crawl for Core

Crawl For Core

One of my favorite exercises to improve your overall health, strength and fitness is crawling. Crawl for core strength and stability. For most adults it has been decades since you have been on all 4’s crawling around. If you watch how babies and kids move, they are pliable, nimble and agile. The can spend extended time in a deep squat, they can fall down and bounce right back up, and they crawl around on the ground. All of these movements are natural human movements that we should continue to perform even into adulthood.

Benefits

When performing the crawling exercise, not only are you engaging your full body musculature, you are also firing neurons in your brain. The cross crawl pattern of moving your opposite extremities at the same time has been shown in numerous studies to be beneficial to the brain. Patients that suffer from Alzheimer’s and dementia have been shown to have positive effects of practicing cross crawl exercises. Anytime we can find exercises that benefit both brain and body…I’m a fan.

I use crawling mostly as a warm up before my other workouts. I set a timer for 5 minutes and try to keep crawling for that whole time. Beware, it takes time to work yourself up to a 5 minute crawl. If you are not ready for that yet, start small. I recommend crawl for one minute, rest for 2 minutes. Repeat 3-5 times. Sometimes, if I am not working out or if it’s a rest day, I will still get down on all 4’s and crawl. I feel so much better physically after I crawl for core, and it also wakes me up. I always feel more alert after.

There is no shortage of ways to incorporate crawling into your routine. Please give it a try and let me know your thoughts.

Your Chicago Chiropractor,

Dr. Steven Bourdage DC