Santa Clara Custom Chiropractic

Chiropractic Research that Rocks!

Leave a Comment

Why chiropractic research?

One of the main reasons chiropractors are seen is for low back pain. An estimated 10% of the world’s population suffers from low back pain! This fact makes it a highly important topic in today’s medical research. Recently chiropractic researchers have been asking: what is the outcome of adding chiropractic care along with medical care, for low back pain patients?

chiropractic research

What were the results of the research?

Some of the top researchers in chiropractic studied the effectiveness of adding together medical and chiropractic care. Researchers compared the benefits of medical care alone, chiropractic care alone, and a combination of the two. For the purposes of the study, medical care included self-care, medications, physical therapy, and pain clinic referrals. In the study, chiropractic care included a few different things.

One method considered was spinal manipulation. Another method was manual therapy. Manual therapy included things like strengthening exercise and heat therapy. During the study, more than 600 patients were screened! After 6 weeks, the results of the study heavily favored using medical and chiropractic care together to treat low back pain.

chiropractic research in practice

Why is this research important for chiropractic patients?

This clinical trial provides is a promising step in research. It offers significant support for using chiropractic care as a part of a multidisciplinary approach for low back pain. By showing the use of medical and chiropractic care together are beneficial for patients, more research is able to be done.

The more research that supports ideas like this, the better care all patients will receive. New research is always being done to evaluate chiropractic care!

SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TODAY

Santa Clara Custom Chiropractic
(408) 248-8700
3700 Thomas Road, Suite 207
Santa Clara, CA 95054

Stretching – How important is it?

Leave a Comment

Father and daughter stretching outdoors.

Injuries can arise from not stretching before performing activities, including those that are part of a daily routine. For example, think of a rubber band. Trying to bend, elongate, or twist a rubber band, is not a difficult task at room temperature. However, if you take a hard, frozen rubber band and try to perform the same action, it will break when moderate force is applied.

Our muscles are like many rubber bands held together within long tubes of insulation that provide further support and resistance to breakage. When we do not move or use our muscles and tendons, just like a frozen rubber band, they lose the ability to expand properly and can be damaged if not warmed up beforehand. Stretching allows your body to understand the limits of how far you can go without injuring yourself.

How can you improve flexibility through stretching?

There are hundreds, if not thousands of different ways to stretch different muscles in our body.

Did you know that we have 650 different muscles?! Of course we cannot stretch all of these muscles each and every day, but we can incorporate other aspects to improve flexibility of our muscles by methods such as: deep breathing, drinking adequate water, relieving stress, eating healthy, positive thinking, sleeping properly, exercising, and seeing enough sunlight.

If you, like most people, spend the majority of your day sitting in a chair and in front of a computer; you could benefit greatly from the following stretching exercises!

Man seated at desk stretching neck.

Simple stretches to incorporate at work:

Pectoralis doorway stretch.

1. Stretching your shoulder:

Place your arms on the corner of a doorway and move your body forward slowly. You should feel a stretch where your arm connects to your upper torso/shoulder region. Hold for 5-7 seconds and relax. Repeat for 7 times and do the other shoulder.

Shoulder to ear stretch.

2. Roll your shoulders back:

With your arms by your side, shrug your shoulders up towards your ears, roll your shoulders backwards in a clockwise direction for the right shoulder and counterclockwise for the left shoulder and relax. Repeat this throughout the day whenever you can remember to do it

Stretch for the front of the neck.

3. Stretch the muscles in the front of your neck:

Interlock your fingers and place them behind your head. Next, push your head into your hands for a few seconds, and relax. Repeat 5 times. Try to do this throughout the day. In addition, you can try to do this once in the morning and evening. Do not tilt your head up or down: it should be neutral and level.

Quadriceps stretch.

4. Get on your feet – stretch your legs:

Stand up and move around every hour for a few minutes. You can stretch your quadriceps muscle by holding your right ankle behind your right leg with your right hand. Hold for about 7 seconds, rest for a few seconds, and do this 5 times. Repeat for the left side.

Ankle mobility stretches.

5. Ankle stretches and mobility:

Try to draw the alphabet with your foot while you’re sitting. By moving your ankles in this way, you’ll actually strengthen and stretch various muscles around your ankle.

What to not do when stretching…

Never over stretch or stretch too quickly without warming up first. Although rare, you can injure your body if you overstretch too quickly and forcefully. Start out in small increments and allow your body to relax and ease the muscles to stretch. In addition, don’t forget to breathe while stretching! After each exhale, stretch just a little further and further.

Improper stretching techniques.

SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TODAY

Santa Clara Custom Chiropractic
(408) 248-8700
3700 Thomas Road, Suite 207
Santa Clara, CA 95054

What is preventative care?

Leave a Comment

A quick background…

In short preventative care is the care a patient receives to prevent a disease or illness. In research, commonly referred to as “maintenance care”. It is frequently studied to see which conditions and populations it helps the most. For example, low back pain as a chronic condition and the elderly as a population.

Preventative care is also analyzed to see how often doctors recommend it to a patient, compared to how often it is actually required. Lastly, research is also being done to determine what type of treatment falls under the title of preventative care.
Chiropractors widely accept that preventative care and health promotion is very effective treatment strategy for patients!

What does it have to do with chiropractic care?

Chiropractors use preventative care as “secondary” and “tertiary” prevention strategies. The goal of a secondary prevention strategy is to reduce the impact of a previously diagnosed condition. For example, a chiropractor recommending exercises to prevent an injury from happening again. Tertiary prevention aims to reduce the impact that a chronic condition has on a patient. For example, teaching a patient stretches to alleviate chronic low back pain.

Clinical research shows that chiro care works!

In one recent research study investigators found that patients who sought out maintenance care from chiropractors had fewer days throughout the year with low back pain. On average 12.8 fewer days!

In addition to this study, another examined exercise as a way to prevent low back pain and injury in fire fighters. This study evaluated first responders, for instance firefighters, for 12 months. One of the test groups received chiropractic care, in addition to performing a back and core exercise program. The results of this test group were impressive. The data showed this test group lost less work time due to low back pain or injury.

These research findings provide evidence to support even more research and initiatives to implement exercise programs. They both provide strong data supporting chiropractic as a form of maintenance care for patients with low back pain!

SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TODAY!

Santa Clara Custom Chiropractic

(408) 248-8700

3700 Thomas Road, Suite 207

Santa Clara, CA 95054

Gallup-Palmer Annual Report

Leave a Comment

The Gallup-Palmer Report for 2018 was recently released and the results are exciting! The poll represents over 5,000 people from the US. Focusing on the prevalence of chiropractic usage, patient preferences for health care providers, as well as patient experiences; this study shows chiropractors as some of the highest rated health care specialists in the country.

Chiropractors out performed Medical Doctor and Physical Therapists in all aspects that patients were asked about; including listening to and explaining things well to patients.

Chiropractic was shown to be used by the majority of American’s suffering from neck or back pain. Patients of chiropractors were more likely to say that they feel their doctor listens, demonstrate care and compassion, explains things well, and provides convenient, quick access to care. Given the choice, most respondents to the study preferred non-drug pain management, most of which included spinal manipulation. With the results of the study, going forward a multidisciplinary approach to neck or back pain would be a huge asset to those who suffer from these conditions.

Chiropractors were one of the top choices for patients with neck and back pain.

To read more about the results of the poll and see all of the statistics about chiropractic, download this PDF!

5 Ways to Practice Mindfulness

Leave a Comment

Mindfulness. We’ve all heard this trendy word, but what does it really entail? Read on for 5 simple ways to incorporate being more mindful into your day to day life.

Meditation

Meditation is one of the simplest and most common ways to increase your mindfulness. A few minutes a day can help you overcome day-to-day stress better.

Deep Breathing

Focusing on breathing fully and completely counteracts the effects that stress has on the body by lowering your heart rate as well as blood pressure.

The next time you are stressed try taking a 5 minute break to concentrate on breathing.

Be Present

While you practice deep breathing you can also practice this skill of “being present”. Take in your surroundings fully and spend time in the moment to connect to how your senses feel.

Tune into your Body

Try doing a mental scan of your body to understand how stress is affecting each part. Start by lying on your back and then taking into account how each area of your body feels. Work your way from the tips of your toes all the way up to the top of your head. Notice how your body feels and where you are holding stress.

Get Moving

Being active for even 20 minutes a day can relieve stress without you even realizing it. Even a quick walk through your neighborhood, will bring blood to all areas of the body and stimulate your brain to release “feel-good” chemicals, like dopamine.

So really, is your “mind full” or could you stand to be a little more “mindful”?