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
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.
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
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
Chiropractic and pregnancy are a match made in heaven. Think of the pelvis of a pregnant woman as a basketball hoop, and the baby as the basketball. If the hoop is level, balanced and in alignment it makes it very easy for the ball to go through the hoop. Now, imagine that the hoop is crooked and unbalanced, it makes it very difficult to get the ball through the hoop.
To improve your chances of having an easier and uncomplicated delivery it’s critical to have your pelvis in proper alignment. This is why women flock to the chiropractor during pregnancy!
Women also visit our chiropractic office in Chicago during pregnancy to help with the general aches and pains associated with pregnancy. The most common ache and pain during the third trimester is sciatica. We have great success helping women with Sciatica, which could be a blog topic all on it’s own. Sometimes women will visit us because their baby is in the wrong position, and they have heard chiropractors have a technique to get the baby into the right position. Whatever your reasons may be, make sure you are under regular chiropractic care during your pregnancy to ensure you have the best labor and delivery possible.
After pregnancy is also a great time to visit us at Bourdage Chiropractic. The postures women find themselves in while nursing or carrying around a heavy diaper bag and car seat can really wreck havock on your spine. The aches and pains pf being a new mom are not fun. This should be one fo the most beautiful and amazing times of your life, don’t let pain get in the way of it! It is important that you feel your best so you can BE your best for your new bundle of joy.
The human body undergoes a lot of challenges during and after pregnancy. Chiropractors are highly trained to help you through this time and keep you as strong and healthy as possible. Let me know how I can hep!
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.
I had a patient come in recently with what he called, “a stiff neck with some pain” that he woke up with after sleeping in a funny position the night before. As a chiropractor, new patients come in with stories like this every single day. Continue reading
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
May 5, 2016
Stretch for Flexibility
Stretching is an often overlooked aspect of health, but yet it so important. There is a lot of misguided information when it comes to stretching. In this blog I want to explain why it is important to stretch and explain the proper timing and method to get the most bang for your buck while stretching.