Have you seen videos on YouTube of chiropractic adjustments? Most people have as there are videos out there that have hundreds of thousands of views. If you have never been adjusted, seeing these videos may leave you wondering, Are chiropractic adjustments painful? Continue reading
Do you have a spine? The answer is yes, everyone with a spine needs a chiropractor in their life, this also includes animal by the way. BUT, here is a a list of 5 people who need a chiropractor and it should be non debate-able.
1) Parents, particularly new moms. Being a parent is the most challenging work on the planet. It’s emotionally, mentally and physically exhausting. Especially for moms. For new moms it is difficult. New moms are sleep deprived, nursing, and carrying around baby carriers all day. If you are a parent, please come get adjusted. You most likely don’t even realize how bad you actually feel because you are just trying to get through the day. Let’s get the stress off your body, increase your energy and get you back to being super parent!
2) Students. When you are spending hours upon hours looking at a textbook or computer screen all day, you are going to have problems. Neck pain, headaches, fatigue, shoulder pain and poor posture come from being a full-time student. Studying is great for your brain, but not great for your body. Students of all ages love chiropractic and feel so much better after adjustments. Feeling better leads to performing better!
3) Desk Jockeys. Do you spend most of your day seated at a desk? If so see #2 above. It’s the same situation. We are not designed to sit as long as we do. The average American desk worker spends 13 hours a day sitting!! That hurts just to think about! Sitting creates low back pain, neck pain, hip pain and sciatica. Chiropractic can help with all of those and then some.
4) Athletes. If you want to keep yourself in the game and performing at your best you need a chiropractor in your life. When you do get injured, if you have been well adjusted we can get you through injuries pretty quick. Whether you are a weekend warrior or a professional athlete, get adjusted!
5) Physical Laborers. Talk about a physically demanding job! I see people in my office that lift furniture, boxes, steel pipes and other objects all day long. Then they are bending over into spaces not designed for humans or holding camera equipment on their backs and the list goes on and on. And if you have a physically demanding job chiropractic care will help you maintain longevity in that career. I have a patient who has been an iron worker for 20 years and has been receiving chiropractic adjustments for half of that time. He says he has coworkers who are in and out of the job all the time because of injuries or they have to take an early retirement. This will not be the case for this particular patient because he is PRO ACTIVE!
Everyone who wants to be healthy and strong needs a chiropractor. These are the 5 types of people who need a chiropractor the most, based on what I have seen with my patients over the last 12 years in practice. If you fall into one of these categories and you need help, please call me at 773-545-9379.
Yours in Health,
Dr. Steven Bourdage
In the video below, this Chicago Chiropractor Talks Health. Ask anyone, “how do you get healthy?” The most common responses are eat better and exercise. Yes, these are important factors in health, but there is so much more to being healthy. Continue reading
I attended a recent workshop by a local Orthopedic surgeon. It was a very informative session. The topic discussed was new procedures for the knee and shoulder joints. The procedures he discussed are new, non-surgical alternatives for people who are still having pain after trying natural methods to heal first. This was a great workshop because most surgeons like to do surgery. This was a surgeon discussing ways to help people avoid surgery. Modern medicine has realized that people want less invasive and more natural methods to healing. People are more educated than ever and they realize that just numbing something or cutting it out is not going to fix the problem!
This blog post is going to be about something the orthopedic surgeon said that I will never forget. He said, “The system is set up so that all roads lead to surgery.” He went on to explain that if you enter the medical system with a pain, the protocol is to prescribe muscle relaxers, pain killers or anti-inflammatories. Or in most cases, some combination of 2 or 3 of these. If this does not help someone to feel better then you continue the medications and start physical therapy. He said this is where the issues begin. Not because of physical therapy, but because of physical therapy while on medications. Taking these medications which interfere with your pain perception, your tissues are not in their normal states. Now you are doing these exercises that can be causing further damage, but you can’t feel it! The pain is there as a protective mechanism. If you can’t feel the pain you may be working beyond the limits that you should be. Therefore, this leads to more problems. If this fails, this is when you end up on the surgeon’s table.
I am writing about this because chiropractic offers a different route. We embrace the pain. We figure out why you are having pain and then work to correct that, not just merely cover it up. If you are looking to avoid surgery and get healthier without the use of medications, I am here for you!
Have you gone down this route that has led to surgery? Would you do it again? I’d love to hear more about it in the comments below.
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 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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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
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