Tag Archives: bourdage chiro

Tension Headaches and Chiropractic

This morning I had a patient come in that I have been working with in regards to her scoliosis. During her visit she told me she had a really bad tension headache over the weekend. She was wondering if there was anything we could do to help. I responded, yes of course! Tension headaches and chiropractic go hand in hand.

Over my 11 years in practice here in Chicago I have helped countless number of people overcome tension headaches with chiropractic care. Tension headaches are a result of tight muscles in the neck. Tight neck muscles are caused by poor posture, stress, dehydration, and most commonly, spinal mis-alignments. Oftentimes the cause is a combination of all the things I just listed. As a chiropractor, it is my job to discover why you are having the tension headaches, and then work to help correct the cause so you feel better and have long-term relief from the symptoms.

This approach is very different than medicine. Many people take OTC medication to alleviate their tension headaches, which temporarily helps you feel better, but the headaches will return because the underlying cause of the headache was not corrected.

Tension Headache Symptoms

Tension headaches are characterized by a dull tightness or pressure that can be in the forehead, temporal area, back of the head and neck area, or in some cases all of the above. These headaches can last a few hours to a few days. 80% of Americans will suffer from a tension headache at some point with 3% of people suffering from daily tension headaches! Tension headaches have a negative effect on your everyday activities. When having a tension headache you will feel irritable, tired, sensitive to light and noise, and trouble focusing. This can interfere with work, family, kids, exercise and other activities that people enjoy.

If you are suffering from tension headaches let me help you! There is no need to suffer any longer. Give us a call at (773)545-9379

Yours in Health,

Dr. Steven Bourdage DC

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Chicago Chiropractor Talks Performance

Mike S. was a patient who came in with shoulder pain that was inhibiting his strength training program. I’d like to share his success story with you. Read on as this Chicago Chiropractor Talks Performance.

Mike is a high level kettlebell athlete. He competes internationally and he is an amazing athlete. When he first came in to our office he was having shoulder pain that was inhibiting him from performing certain movements. Upon examination it was discovered that a tendon in his shoulder was inflamed and damaged causing his pain. In addition to that his middle back had spinal restrictions impeding the movement in his shoulder which ultimately is what resulted in the tendon issue. Also, his pelvis was misaligned with one side being much higher than the other. I started Mike on adjustments to fix the above mentioned issues and also had him modify his training. I told him, like I tell all my active patients, staying active will help you heal faster, we just need to work around the current issues.

Fast forward to one month later and not only is Mike back at it 100%, but he competed in a local event here in Chicago at Evolution Fitness, he set a personal best record in his event! Mike continues to receive chiropractic, not because he is in pain, but because he realized his body performs so much better when his spine is free of stress and tension.

This is much further reaching than even athletic performance. I also work closely with many members of the Chicago Lyric Opera. Opera singers literally use their body as their instrument, and a high functioning body is a top priority for them. Have you ever been to the opera? These professional singers are absolutely amazing! I have been fortunate to work with over 20 of the professional singers from the opera house.

Performance comes in many different forms and varies based on individual needs. How are you performing? It may not be athletics or singing, but maybe you’re a teacher, stay at home mom, or in the professional world….it doesn’t matter. We all need to perform in some manner. Let us help you perform at your best!

Yours in Health,

Dr. Steven Bourdage DC

Serving Sauganash since 2008

Back Pain Chicago 2017

Back pain Chicago 2017 is what we will be discussing today. What does that even mean, you may be thinking?

Back pain is the 2 reason people visit a doctor, second only to the common cold. Research shows that 80% of Americans will suffer from back pain in their lives to a degree where they will miss work. The trend I am noticing in my Chicago office is that the numbers are on the rise. In today’s day and age people are busier, more stressed and less physically active than ever before. All of these factors, along with many others contribute to back pain and degradation of overall health.

Back pain is not always associated with an acute injury like most people think. Back pain usually builds over the years. It begins with dysfunction in the muscles and spine that the person is not usually aware of. Or, sometimes they are aware of some twinges, but chose to ignore those signs. What ends up happening is eventually a small stress or activity will then be the ‘straw that breaks the camels back’ so to speak. I hear stories like this all the time. “I slept funny and now I can’t move”, “I bent over to pick up a pencil and couldn’t stand back up”, or my favorite, “I sneezed and my back went out”. These are just a few examples of the stories I hear and it’s easy to see how someone may thing this offending activity caused their back pain, but in reality the issues most likely started a long time ago.

What to Do?

The best course of action to take is to be Proactive as opposed to reactive! Don’t wait for a crisis and don’t ignore the small signs and symptoms your body may be giving you. The small things lead to the big things.

If you are in pain or if you are looking for prevention, come see us! I have been helping people stay healthy, strong and active since 2006!

Yours in Health,

Dr. Steven Bourdage DC

Chicago Chiropractor Talks Vitamins

Check out the video below hear “Chicago Chiropractor Talks Vitamins”

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Stand for Better Posture

One of the easiest ways to improve your overall health is to stand for better posture. The human body is designed to move, and keep moving. We as a society have come a long way from this. We are now spending an average of 13 hours a day sitting on our butts! As a result of all of this sitting we are becoming weaker, more overweight, and suffering from back pain at all time high levels. 86% of all Americans will suffer from low back pain to the extent that they will have to miss work. Back pain is now the second most common reason people visit their Medical Doctor after the common cold.

Many people, corporations, companies and myself are switching to standing desks. Studies show standing helps employees to be more productive, have more energy and have less missed days of work. From a physiological standpoint, standing lowers blood pressure, improves posture, and keeps your spinal muscles strong. Standing while you work is a win-win for everyone involved.

Since switching to my standing desk, I have actually not lowered once to sit down. It has the option to be lowered, but I find no desire to sit down anymore. It does take some getting used to, and you may feel soreness in your feet, knees, hips and lower back when you first start because all of those muscles are not used to having to work so much. Stay the course though, because after a week or so everything starts to feel much better.

Do you stand for better posture? Have you switched to a standing desk? I’d love to here about what you notice is the difference?

Yours in Health,

Dr. Steven Bourdage DC

Chicago Chiropractor Talks Sitting

Sitting is the new smoking. This statement is buzz-worthy at the moment, and for good reason. The newest research is showing us how detrimental sitting actually is to our health. Read on as this Chicago Chiropractor Talks Sitting further. Continue reading →

Dr. Bourdage Talks Headaches

Headaches are the second most common reason people come to my office and seek chiropractic care. We have AMAZING success with headaches because we find the underlying root cause of the headaches and work to CORRECT that. This ensures not only that your headaches improve, but also that they don’t return.

Headaches can be extremely debilitating. Whether they are migraine headaches or tension headaches, they can cause fatigue, crankiness, and lack of energy. When you are in pain and not feeling your best, it can be hard to focus and be productive at work. Don’t let his happen to you, chiropractic can help!

If you are sick and tired of having to take medications for you headaches, which only temporarily reduce your symptoms, but do NOTHING for correcting your problem, come see us. There is hope. You CAN feel better!

Chicago Chiropractor Helps Arthritis

April 27, 2016

A recent study from the Journal of the American Chiropractic Association sheds some light on how chiropractors help arthritis. In this particular study, researchers inserted metal rods into the spines of rats to restrict and prevent specific movement of the bones in their spine. What do you think the results were? Continue reading →

Spinal Health and Height

April 21, 2016

Astronaut Scott Kelly returned to Earth recently after being in space for a year! One of the headline grabbing topics when he returned was that he gained 2 inches in height during his time away! How incredible is that? You may wondering what that has to do with chiropractic? Let’s talk about it: Continue reading →

Back Surgery May Backfire

March 31, 2016

This was the title of a recent article that came out on NBC news. You can view the article here: Back Surgery

Most people who have a back surgery end up needing a second one later on, and in many cases even after 2 surgeries these people are in just as much pain, if not more than before. Continue reading →

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