Tag Archives: Chiropractic

Bourdage Chiropractic

Bourdage Chiropractic in Lincolnwood

What makes us different? Here at Bourdage Chiropractic we are a family-owned chiropractic office. My kids grew up here. My wife Bing worked in the office full time during our early years. Often our little babies had to come to work with us. Many of our long-time patients remember these days…as do I. We have grown over the years and Bing is not here as much now that those little babies are growing up. But we still maintain the family office feel. Our employees are often with us for a long time. We treat our employees like we do our patients…we are all family. Bourdage Chiropractic in Lincolnwood is the premier chiropractic office on the northside.

People come to our office in pain. They are not themselves when we first meet them. They are hurting, scared, angry and oftentimes frustrated. To be able to heal, you need to feel at home. That is what we strive to provide here at Bourdage Chiropractic. If you feel at home at our office, you will have better results. We are approachable, relaxed, and easy-going. Yet, we are serious when it comes to your health.

We want what is best for you. If for some reason we are not a good fit for you, or we cannot help you with your condition, I will let you know and help you to find the right doctor’s office for you.

Everyone deserves to live life at their fullest potential. Our job is to help maximize that potential. The better health your spine is in, the less pain and the more enjoyment you will have in life.

Convenient Care Options

Research shows that the number one reason people avoid doctor’s offices is because it is so time consuming. Very rarely are you taken on time for your appointment, and a simple appointment can eat away at your whole day’s plans. Who has time for that? Here at Bourdage Chiropractic we respect your time. When you chose our office, I promise we will respect your time, and deliver results. We are meticulous with our schedule, and 95% of the time we run on schedule. Very rarely will you ever wait in our office, and if you do it will not be longer than 15 minutes.

It is also very convenient to communicate with our office. You can request an appointment via our website here, or you can call or text us directly at 773-545-9379. If you prefer email, we’ve got that covered as well: info@bourdagechiropractic.com.

Also, check us out on:

Facebook

YouTube

Yelp

Instagram

I look forward to connecting with you and becoming the chiropractic office for you and your family! Bourdage Chiropractic in Lincolnwood is ready to serve you!

Yours in Health,

Dr. Steven Bourdage DC

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

Chiropractic and Exercise

A lot of patients ask me if chiropractic and exercise should be done together? Did you know receiving chiropractic adjustments can help you to make the most of your exercise program. Chiropractic helps exercise, and exercise helps chiropractic. Let me explain more..

Continue reading →

5 Tips for Optimal Health

There is so much information out there about what’s best for your health. Trends will come and go, but there are foundations which everyone should practice. Like building a house, having these foundations in place will give you a solid start. Here are my 5 tips for optimal health.

Continue reading →

Is Chiropractic for Me?

Many people who have never been to a chiropractor may find themselves asking, “Is chiropractic for me?” If you find yourself asking this question please read on. Let’s talk more about what chiropractic is, how it works, and why it may be the best kept secret you’re missing out on!

Continue reading →

Meditate for Better Health

Meditate

I am going to switch gears in this blog post away from chiropractic. Chiropractic is amazing at helping you to build better health. Most of my readers already know this. Another topic that is near and dear to my heart is encouraging people to meditate for better health.

Health is physical, chemical, mental and spiritual all in one. It is beneficial to work on all these areas of your life to have the best health possible. Chiropractic is all about the physical. In the craziness of the world, we could all use some mental health improvements. This is where meditation comes into play. Meditation can also be a spiritual experience, but that is not the topic of this post. I’d like to focus on the mental (and physical) benefits of meditation and then give you some tips on how to implement this in your routine.

This post is not meant to be a how-to article….but more of kick in the butt for you to learn more about it and start doing it. There are plenty of how-to resources available to learn how to start a meditation practice.

There are studies that show mediation can help lower blood pressure, lessen anxiety and symptoms of depression, help you sleep better, lengthen your attention span, and even help control pain. Who doesn’t want these benefits? And it does not take a huge investment of time and it’s free. It’s too good not to do.

The most common barrier I hear from people on why they don’t meditate is because they just can’t do it. They can’t turn their mind off. I have two responses to that.

  1. You are exactly the kind of person who desperately NEEDS to meditate.
  2. The goal is not to turn of your thoughts.

Let’s discuss point #2. The goal of meditation is to be more aware. Aware of your body, aware of your thoughts. Not to turn off your thoughts. Again check out some of the resources out there that help you with the how to.

Here are a few tips for beginners.

  1. Consistency is the key. I personally try to meditate at least 20 minutes every day. If you find you don’t have 20 minutes, even a 3 minute session can be very refreshing. Do it EVERY DAY!
  2. Do it first thing in the morning. I find later in the day my mind is racing with all the other things I need to get done. First thing in the morning I still have control over my day.
  3. Minimize distractions. Don’t have your phone with you, and position yourself in a way that your kids or spouse won’t interrupt. For me, this is also why I do it in the morning, before anyone else is awake.
  4. Give yourself some grace. It takes time to learn. your mind has been thinking for however many years you’ve been alive. It takes time, patience, and repetition. Some days will be better than others.

I hope this helps inspire you to try out meditation for better health. If you have questions please ask!

Check out these popular apps if you prefer a guided meditation or don’t know where to start.

https://www.headspace.com/

https://www.calm.com/

Immune function

5 Tips to Improve Immune Function

5 Tips to Improve Immune Function

With all of the talk about coronavirus I thought it would be a good time to write a blog post with 5 tips to improve immune function. We all know we need to wash our hands and avoid sick people, but here are some tips that will help your body fight off not only the coronavirus, but also any other virus or bacteria! Continue reading →