Beat Allergy Season Naturally
I love when people ask me this question. Chiropractic is so simple…maybe it is too simple and that’s why people have a hard time understanding it. There are 4 principles for you to know and understand to fully grasp, “What is chiropractic?” Continue reading
Who doesn’t love to travel? Spring break is upon us and many people will be hitting the road and the air to travel to fun family destinations. Travel can be tricky if you are suffering from back or neck pain. Even if you are feeling good, travel can make you feel tight, achy and sore. Here are some Chiropractic Travel Tips to help you feel great once you arrive at your destination.
You have to move your body! Lack of movement can create tension and pain. If you are driving make sure to get out of the car and move every time you stop. Drink a lot of water while driving because this will force you to stop often for potty breaks. If you are flying the advice is the same, get up and walk to the bathroom at least once an hour.
You can also move without getting up. Perform circles with your feet, head and neck and shoulders while sitting. Any movement is better than no movement. Fidgeting can also be a helpful habit while traveling because fidgeting will help to keep movement built into the time you are spending sitting.
Travel can be stressful. Any extra stress leads to more tension and pain. Try and stay relaxed during your travels to help alleviate any extra tension. I personally like to meditate while I am flying or the passenger in a car on a road trip. This helps me to stay mentally at ease which helps my body to stay at ease.
The first thing you should do once you arrive and settle in to your hotel is stretch. Particularly the areas to focus on are the thoracic spine (middle back), hips and shoulders. These are the areas of the body that get tight after long periods of sitting. While sitting these areas are in a flexed or rounded position which creates tightness and lack of motion. Spend 5-10 minutes loosening these areas up and you will be much happier and ready to enjoy your vacation to the fullest!
Yours in Health,
Dr. Steven Bourdage DC
Check out the video below hear “Chicago Chiropractor Talks Vitamins”
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
In this quick video Dr. Bourdage, your local Chicago Chiro Talks Posture.
Posture is so much more than how we look. It’s how the world sees us, how our body functions, and most importantly the signals you are giving to your nervous system. Are you training your nervous system to be in a defensive state or in a growth state. Watch the video above to learn more about how posture affects your nervous system.
If you would like help with improving your posture and overall health give us a call at 773-545-9379. Dr. Bourdage loves helping people improve posture. We are located in the Sauganash neighborhood of Chicago on the Northwest side.
Here is a quick Success Story that is too good not to share. Everyday in my practice here in Chicago I get to witness stories like this…and it never gets old! Continue reading
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
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
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