Tag Archives: sciatica

Sciatica? Chiropractic Can Help

Are you suffering from Sciatica? Chiropractic can help!

Sciatica can be caused by many different issues. It can be arthritic changes in the spine, a herniated disc, muscle imbalances around the hip, or muscle tightness. It is important to discover what is causing your sciatica and address that issue. That is our approach here at Bourdage Chiropractic.

Sciatica is characterized by pain in the back. This is accompanied by pain, numbness, tingling, or burning that travels down the leg and may even be felt into the feet and toes. The further down your leg it travels, the more severe your case is. It is important to have this checked out and do not wait for the symptoms to get better on their own. The longer you wait, the greater chance your sciatica may become chronic in nature.

Sciatica is the most common condition I treat at Bourdage Chiropractic. We have good success in helping people heal from this oftentimes awful condition.

Please watch the video above, and if you have any questions I’d be more than happy to discuss with you. Give me a call at 773-545-9379.

Yours in Health,

Dr. Steven Bourdage DC

Chiropractic and Herniated Discs

Here at Bourdage Chiropractic we see all different types of conditions. One of my favorite conditions to work with is herniated discs. Chiropractic and herniated discs go together like peanut butter and jelly. As soon as you hear, “you have a herniated disc” the first thing you should think about is seeing your chiropractor.

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Chicago Chiropractor Talks Health

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 →

Chiropractic Travel Tips

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.

Move

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.

Relax

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.

Once You Arrive

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

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

Sciatica and Chiropractic

Sciatica and Chiropractic go hand in hand with each other. Sciatica is the most common condition that brings people into my office here in Chicago.

If you are suffering from sciatica, or know someone who is, then you know how debilitating and crippling it can be. We have amazing success with sciatica, it responds really well to what we do here in my office.

What I want to talk about is the amount of time people suffer with sciatica before they finally decide to seek treatment. Many times when people first come in to my office with sciatica I will ask them “How long have you had this?” The answers are always 5 years, 10 years, or forever! It varies, but it is always a REALLY LONG TIME! Why are you waiting so long? I get it. Most people think it will go away on its own, but if you’ve had it for YEARS, guess what? It’s time to get some help!

I challenge you, if you have sciatica, come to our office in Sauganash or go see your local Chiropractor if you are not in Chicago. We have had amazing success with Sciatica and you no longer have to suffer. We can help you get back to the things you want to enjoy in life. More exercise, more movement, sitting, sleeping and all types of everyday activities can be normal again!

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 →

Driving and Butt Pain

One of the most common reasons people come to see me at my office in Chicago is because they spend a lot of time in the car and they start experiencing pain. These patients often ask me, “Driving and butt pain, can this be happening to me?” The answer is yes. The positioning of the seat in your car may be largely responsible for why you are having the butt pain. Oftentimes it can become even more than just butt pain, it can turn into sciatica.

Sciatica is a pain in the butt that also travels down the leg, sometimes as far down as the toes. It can be a sharp pain, a dull ache, or sometimes even numbness, tingling or burning. If you have ever suffered from sciatica you know just how debilitating it can be!

Sciatica has ended many careers of truck drivers or others who spend a lot of time in cars. This includes you police officers!

Watch the video below for a quick tip on how to position your car seat better. Most importantly, get checked by a chiropractor. We are specialists when it comes to helping those suffering with sciatica. Pelvic misalignments, tight hips, lower back subluxations and muscle imbalances can all contribute to the pain you are experiencing. It is critical to have these issues corrected, not only so you feel better, but so we fix the underlying problem and your sciatica doesn’t become chronic and a long-term issue.

The only thing worse than a pain in the butt, is a long-term, chronic pain in the butt.

Yours in Health,

Dr. Steven Bourdage DC

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