Kittens & Chiropractic

Holding any tension in your neck or back? Getting adjusted can help you rest just as easy and relaxed as Minnie!

Elevate Health Chiropractic Explains Infant Adjustments

Why take your infant to be adjusted? To begin with, babies have suffered a great deal of stress on their body during birth. A current study shows that 90% of newborns suffer some degree of trauma during birth, including strain on the neck and cranial areas. If these imbalances are left uncorrected, they can have serious implications on the newborn's health later in life.

Dr. Paul Samuel, DC, recommends bringing your newborn to be adjusted within the first 4 months of their life. The first year of life is the period of greatest growth for a baby's spine; the spine grows by 50% just in this year! The spinal curves that make up a well functioning spine are also formed within the first year of life.

Adjustments help optimize the function of the nervous system, which controls growth and development. Removing subluxations in this critical system helps boost a baby's health growth. Some symptoms that may indicate that your child is experiencing an imbalance and could benefit from an adjustment include reflux/frequent spitting up, colic, difficulty nursing, and balance issues. A recent study of infants in chiropractic treatment shows that 94% of babies adjusted by chiropractors showed a successful rating after just two weeks.

Some parents may fear that a chiropractic adjustment is too strenuous a procedure for their newborn; however, treatments for newborns are very gentle. Very light touches are used to correct misalignments. Chiropractors can also use cranio-sacral massage to open up sinuses and ear canals. Chiropractic care helps ensure that your infant's skull will grow and develop evenly, preparing them for a lifetime of wellness.

Be Good to Your Body at Work!

The average American adult spends eight hours a day sitting down. Research links prolonged time spent sitting with a variety of detrimental health effects, including increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, obesity, and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer (see the Mayo Clinic's article here). Sitting for too long also slows your brain's function, strains your neck, and can damage your discs (see this article).

It's important to try to reduce time spent sitting, but people who are employed in offices may find it difficult to reduce time at their desk. Experts suggest several ways to counteract the stresses of sitting, including sitting on something wobbly such as an exercise ball to engage your core muscles, walking around for a few minutes every hour, and alternating between sitting and standing at your work station.

We know how challenging it can be to find time to get up and out of your desk chair, so we've assembled a guide to four easy exercises you can do right at your desk! These stretches will help reduce tension, soothe stiffness, and increase your body's performance. Be good to your body, even at work!

Elevate Health Chiropractic wishes you a happy New Year!

It's a brand new year! Hoping everyone had a fun & safe holiday. As we start 2017, here are five good reasons why chiropractic care should be included in your New Year's resolution! 

#chiropractic #health #wellness #newyearnewyou

Deflaming with Nutrition

South Burlington chiropractor Dr. Paul Samuel has some tips for you on how to deflame your diet and reduce inflammation! Eating anti-inflammatory foods helps boost your health and wellness and keeps your body functioning at optimum levels. We at Elevate Health Chiropractic will be adding more information to this continuing series on eating healthy so be sure to check back in! #health #wellness #chiropractic #burlington #vermont

www.elevatehealthchiropractic.com

(802) 557-8568

Get Your Best Night's Sleep

What is Text Neck?

For the average American, their smartphone is an essential part of their life, and is by their side nearly constantly. 79% of the population between the ages of 18 and 44 have their cell phones with them almost all the time. The average time spent communicating on a smart phone per day is 132 minutes (or 2 hours, 12 minutes). For reference, that's nearly as much time as the average American spends per day commuting to and from work, cooking meals, and caring for their family, combined (see articles 1, 2, 3). Four out of five Americans check their phone within 15 minutes of waking up.

"Text neck" is the term used to refer to the neck and upper back pain caused by the pressure put on your neck when you're looking down at your phone, tablet, or other device. Text neck symptoms include upper back pain, a dull ache at the base of the neck, neck tightness or pain in the shoulders. The human head weighs an average of 10 pounds; for every inch your head tilts farther forward, the pressure on your neck is doubled. At a 45 degree angle, the pressure on your spine is approximately 49 lbs (see diagram). This could make you feel like your head is much heavier than it really is and lead to fatigue.

To avoid text neck, make sure to raise your phone or laptop screen to your line of sight, rather than looking down at it. Keep your head back so that your ears are aligned above your shoulders and avoid craning your neck forwards. To help strengthen the muscles in the back of your neck, try this exercise: place your hands behind your head and interlace your fingers; press your head backwards into the pressure from your hands. Alternatively, press your head backwards into your headrest while driving. Both of these exercises will help improve the symptoms of text neck. Above all, try to be conscious of your posture and the angle your neck is being held at; a few days of practicing good posture can make all the difference!