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Author: getradiant

sports chiropractors in montgomery county pa

Why Do Athletes Need a Chiropractor?

Bottom Line:

sports chiropractors in montgomery county paPreparing, training and competing all collectively make taking part in your sport of choice so much fun. However, the common motions in many popular sports can place a tremendous amount of stress on your neck and back, and while your body is incredibly strong and resilient, it’s important to give your muscles and joints time for rest and recovery. As chiropractors, we are uniquely trained to assist athletes in preparing for and recovering from the demands of competition. We understand that the stress of training is different from your needs during recovery and we can help you stay on track.  

Why it Matters:

As an athlete, you’re pushing and challenging your body to improve your performance. When you’re training, we can help you stay on track by using adjustment techniques that can improve your range of motion while decreasing your spinal stiffness. During your recovery, we use additional techniques that can help with tissue repair, inflammation reduction, and accelerating the recovery process.

  • Researchers have found spinal stiffness increases during bouts of back pain.
  • Adjustment techniques intended to target soft tissue can help break down nagging scar tissue.
  • Improving range of motion in joints can help better facilitate the healing process.

Next Steps:

Now, you don’t need to be an Olympic athlete to enjoy the benefits of our care. We’ve taken the most effective and impactful techniques and put them together in a way that retired, active, and even soon-to-be athletes can utilize. Whatever your health goals, we want to be a part of the team that keeps you off the sidelines and actively enjoying the game of life. Schedule your next adjustment with us today!

Does experimental low back pain change posteroanterior lumbar spinal stiffness and trunk muscle activity? A randomized crossover study. Clinical Biomechanics 2016. The Graston Technique: An Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Manual Therapy for Back Pain. Spine-Health 2013.

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How You Can “Un-Pinch” a Nerve

Bottom Line:

Pinched nerves are not exactly what most people would call a good time. A pinched or compressed nerve can cause pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness in your arm or leg. It can be debilitating! When the nerves are leaving your spinal column they have very little protection. And if a disc, ligament, or bone spur get near a nerve…ouch! The pain can start there and then travel the entire length of that nerve root resulting in pain that radiates into your arms and legs. Let’s just say that your nerves don’t like being pushed around.

Why it Matters:

back soreness montgomery county paThe good news is that you can experience a lot of relief by taking the pressure off of the nerves. Research has shown that chiropractic adjustments can help reduce the pinching or compression on those delicate nerves roots. And with less pressure on the nerve, you can finally find relief.

– Your nerves communicate with every organ, tissue, and cell in your body

– Bone spurs, ligament overgrowth, or disc problems can cause pressure on these nerves

– Adjustments gently open the holes, or canals, of your spine, thereby decreasing the pressure on the nerves to help you function and feel better!

Next Steps:

Take a look around and do some “people watching” today. You will see that many people walk crooked or bent over towards one side. Sometimes this is the result of a pinched nerve. They are trying to lean away from the pain and open up those nerve channels. But, by staying active, maintaining a full range of motion, and getting periodic chiropractic care– you can count on standing tall for years to come!

Science Source:

Cervical radiculopathy: a systematic review on treatment by spinal manipulation and measurement with the Neck Disability Index. Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association 2012. Symptomatic, MRI Confirmed, Lumbar Disc Herniations: A Comparison of Outcomes Depending on the Type and Anatomical Axial Location of the Hernia in Patients Treated With High-Velocity, Low-Amplitude Spinal Manipulation. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. 2016.

Bio-Hacking Your Nervous System Naturally

Bottom Line:

Your life is experienced through your nervous system. Think about that. Every thought, breath, heartbeat, memory, and movement happens in coordination with your central nervous system. Researchers have found that nerve signals can travel from your brain to your body at more than 250 miles per hour. Your brain is the master control system of your body with signals and messages starting in the brain and then heading out and down to your body. But can messages travel the other way? What if I told you there are ways you can impact your brain by moving your spine? It’s true…

chiropractic services bucks countyWhy it Matters:

Top researchers have found that specific movements of the spine, including the motion that happens during a chiropractic adjustment, can provide a multitude of benefits to your brain and nervous system. Adjustments activate the nerves that detect and sense motion. When those nerves are activated, it stops (or gates) the nerves that deliver pain signals. That is one of the reasons why adjustments provide pain relief. They literally “turn off” the pain sensors! Perhaps even more exciting is the emerging research that has shown adjustments can increase cortical drive. That’s a fancy way of saying researchers have found adjustments can make you stronger!

– Your entire life is experienced through your central nervous system- every thought, memory, and action.

– Movement of your spine can activate your central nervous system and brain

– Emerging research has shown chiropractic adjustments can help reduce pain, improve function, and even increase strength!

Next Steps:

Chiropractic care has been helping people live their best life for over 100 years. Having a higher quality of life and feeling better (with less pain) are two of the most popular reasons why people seek chiropractic care. But new research into sports performance, strength, and how the adjustment can improve brain function have a lot of people excited. We would love to hear how chiropractic care has changed your life!

Science Source:

Mechanism of action of spinal manipulative therapy. Joint, Bone, Spine 2003. Neurophysiological effects of spinal manipulation. Spine Journal 2002.

spinal care montgomery county pa

What Happens When You Hear a “CRACK” in Your Spine?

Bottom Line:

You turn your head or bend down to lift something and “CRACK”! What is it? Did you injure something?  The first time that happens can be terrifying. Well, you don’t need to worry. That cracking sound is probably not a broken bone. It typically occurs in the facet joints, or knuckles, of your spinal column and it can be completely normal. Your facet joints are designed to help your spine move through a full range of motion.

spinal care montgomery county paWhy it Matters:

The facets are little joints on the back side of your spine. Similar to your knuckles, they have a small capsule around them for lubrication and support. When a facet joint is stretched open, gas within the joint is released, making a crunch or cracking sound. The release of gas is perfectly normal and happens because of the negative pressure in the joint. Sometimes adhesions can occur in the joint making it painful to move. That is why after a chiropractic adjustment many people feel better and have an improved range of motion. Adjustments help the facet joints move more naturally with fewer restrictions.

– Cracks and pops in your back and neck are typically caused by the release of gas within the joint (like a knuckle)

– Adhesions in the joints of your spine can restrict your range of motion and contribute to degenerative changes

– Adjustments reduce the adhesions in the fact joints resulting in pain relief and an improved range of motion

Next Steps:

While many chiropractic techniques create a “cracking” or “crunching” type sound- not all do. Low-speed techniques also improve the motion of the facet joints, sometimes without any sound at all. And here’s a tip to share with your friends- stubborn headaches are frequently caused by irritated facet joints. If you know someone who suffers from headaches and works on a computer most of the day- their facet joints may be to blame. Share this paper with them and let them know a chiropractic adjustment may be just what they need!

Science Source:

Effects of side-posture positioning and side-posture adjusting on the lumbar zygapophysial joints as evaluated by magnetic resonance imaging: a before and after study with randomization. JMPT 2000. Neurophysiological effects of spinal manipulation. The Spine Journal 2002.

best chiropractors in montgomery county pa

How to Keep Your Spinal Discs Healthy

Bottom Line:

best chiropractors in montgomery county paSpinal discs are the shock absorbers between the bones, or vertebrae, of your spine. The discs have a tough outer ring and a jelly-like center. Their job is to help us move, bend, and twist while absorbing the weight of gravity. But, over time, our spinal discs can become degenerative. Injuries, aging, and the effects of gravity all contribute to disc degeneration. The good news is that degenerative discs rarely cause pain unless they budge or herniate, placing pressure on the spinal nerves. So how you can slow down the degenerative process and keep your discs healthy? Keep reading…

Why it Matters:

Top research journals have recently discovered that movement and hydration are two important factors to keep your discs healthy. A well-hydrated disc can more easily adapt to movement and is less prone to injury. Many chiropractic techniques are designed to “pump” your spinal discs. This motion helps bring nutrients into the disc and pushes out inflammation and waste. That is a fancy way to say that chiropractic care can help keep your spinal discs healthy! Here are the key takeaways:

– Your spinal discs act as small shock absorbers between the bones of your spine

– Movement helps bring nutrients into the disc and pushes out waste and inflammation; helping them stay healthy

– Torn, herniated, or bulged discs can cause pain by irritating the nearby nerves. Researchers have found chiropractic care to be one of the best ways to heal and feel better!

Next Steps:

A combination of chiropractic care in Montgomery County, PA and staying well-hydrated are two ways to keep your spinal discs healthy and pain-free. But, don’t forget to stay active between your adjustments. And here is one more tip to slow down Father Time- daily exercise and stretching. Exercise and stretching will not only keep you fit and trim but can also potentially slow down the degenerative changes of your spine keeping you healthy and active for many years to come!

Science Source:

The Effect of Sustained Compression on Oxygen Metabolic Transport in the Intervertebral Disc Decreases with Degenerative Changes. Computational Biology 2011

Running exercise strengthens the intervertebral disc. Scientific Reports 2017

chiropractic care in montgomery county pa

The Best Kept Secret in Health Care

Most people, when offered a choice between something natural and something artificial, will go with something natural. We have an inherent sense that the natural way is the better way.

chiropractic care in montgomery county paWhen it comes to food, we prefer natural foods over foods that are laden with chemical additives or are genetically engineered. Fresh air is more desirable than processed, conditioned air, and fresh spring water is also more desirable – in fact, even a genuine, authentic attitude is more satisfying than a phony, put-on facade.

So, is health care any different? If you have a choice between drug therapy and surgery or something more natural, which would you prefer? If you could get similar or even better results with a non-dangerous natural approach, wouldn’t you opt for that?

There are surely times when there is no choice, that drugs and surgery must be used. But those in the know realize that safe, all-natural chiropractic care is a real alternative. Instead of putting artificial chemicals into your bloodstream, maybe you can try a course of chiropractic adjustments, which proactively improve your body function by tuning your brain and body to work better together.

Chiropractic – it’s the best kept secret in health care – re-discover it for yourself. If you know someone who could benefit from safe, natural chiropractic care in Montgomery County, PA or Bucks County, make sure to tell them about it. We can’t help people who don’t know about the benefits of chiropractic care. It is our mission at Radiant Life Chiropractic to get the secret out and improve the health of our community with the best chiropractic care around Bucks County!

healthy habits

Habits of Healthy People

Did you ever notice that some people are just healthy, rarely get sick, and seem to have plenty of energy to live life to the fullest? There are a few of us who just are naturally gifted with great health, but most people earn their good health by developing sound lifestyle habits and practicing them consistently and enthusiastically. Being healthy conjures up images of muscular weightlifters at the gym, or long-distance runners breaking the tape after a marathon. But the habits of good health are a lot easier to get at – fortunately, anyone can learn to do what it takes to be healthy. And it starts with learning how to have a healthy brain.

healthy habitsSleep

When you sleep, your brain maintains and rejuvenates itself. That means if you don’t get enough sleep, it hurts your brain a little bit each night – can you imagine what happens over months and years of not sleeping enough? Everyone needs sufficient rest – for most people, that means at least seven or eight hours each night, and more for children.

And if you must miss sleep one night, it’s essential that you catch up in the next couple of nights, or else your brain gets a little less efficient, nothing you’d notice right away, but eventually it makes you foggier, slower, and less effective overall. That will lead to disease, but it’s easy to avoid that – get enough sleep.

Diet

Doctors used to think that your brain liked sugar and hated fat. But modern science proves the opposite – your brain hates sugar and loves healthy fats. So, you’re better off avoiding sweet and starchy food, in favor of sources of good fat, like olive oil, fish like salmon and sardines, avocadoes and nuts like walnuts or sunflower seeds.

Your brain needs water, too, and that means water, not iced tea, soda pop, fruit juice or coffee. You need water to hydrate your brain, which is 70% water. Remember, while you sleep, your brain washes itself, and for that it needs enough water. Aim for eight or ten glasses a day.

Exercise

Depending on your current level of fitness, you may choose to exercise moderately or vigorously – just plan to start at your level and move forward reasonably yet steadily.

If you are new to exercise, begin with movement – moving your arms, legs, swaying, rotating, stretching, whatever you can do to get motion into your spine. If you are more fit, you can walk, run, swim, dance, practice yoga, lift weights or play sports.

The key is to select exercises that build your wind and also your muscles. As such, you are better off pacing yourself, doing regular workouts instead of pushing yourself too hard occasionally. Also, contemporary training experts are discovering that high intensity interval training, short intense exercise periods with periods of relaxation in between, is a rapid way to get in shape.

But most importantly, you want to get movement into your spine, because that spinal movement nourishes and stimulates the brain.

Stress Relaxation

Where do you hold your stress? Neck and shoulders? Forehead? Low back? Stomach? Everyone holds stress differently, but no matter where you hold it, it hurts your brain. We all need tools and techniques to de-stress, like meditation or prayer, massage, yoga, martial arts, or bio-feedback.

Brain Care

The latest research is proving that safe, all-natural chiropractic care is one of the best things you can do to keep your brain healthy. Spinal motion feeds your brain, so any deviation from normal spinal health will begin to compromise your brain. So, consult your Doctor of Chiropractic and plan regular checkups for the whole family. Your brain health may depend on it!

back relief in montgomery county pa

Common Habits That Make You Sick

Everybody wants to be as healthy as possible, but most of us don’t recognize the common habits we’ve developed that are actually making us less well. Many of our habits consistently stress our body and weaken our immune system over time making us more susceptible to getting sick.

back relief in montgomery county paFor example, many people salt their food before they even taste it. Taking in too much salt is a frequent contributor to high blood pressure, heart problems, and blood vessel disease. Moderate your salt intake and reduce your risk of circulatory problems.

Too many of us stop for low-quality coffee and a donut for breakfast. Your body flash-burns the carbohydrates in the donut, turbocharges your system with caffeine from coffee most likely tainted with mold, and then a couple of hours later, you crash and need to do it again, with a Coke, a sugary snack, or an energy drink. This up-and-down cycle stresses your metabolism, driving you into overload which eventually exhausts you. Have a healthy breakfast every day, with protein and fats and less carbohydrates – it will satiate and regulate your body and relieve your stress.

Staying up late may seem cool and temporarily improve your social life, but the cost is losing sleep, and if this happens on a regular basis, it hurts your brain. Get enough sleep, and your brain will function better.

Most of us don’t realize how important it is to take good care of your spine. Ignoring your spinal health is a habit that costs you, not only in wear and tear on your structure, but in reducing the stimulation to your brain. Visit your neighborhood spinal expert, aka your chiropractor, for regular check-ups for you and your whole family – a healthy spine means a healthy brain.

Radiant Life Chiropractic serves the Hatboro, Horsham, Warminster and surrounding communities with neurologically-based chiropractic care to help both adults and children live a healthier life! Next week we will focus on habits that healthy people develop. In the meantime, make sure to follow us on Facebook (@radiantlifechiro) to get daily updates and other fun facts!

back pain bucks county

The Real Importance for Scoliosis Screening

Schools recently opened their doors to students worldwide, and families already mobilized to prepare for the school year. They knew they needed to buy books and supplies, to arrange for bus transportation or car pools, to coordinate meals either on site or from home, to select new wardrobe items and other typical school matters.

back pain bucks countyThey also probably planned a yearly physical and a dental examination as well. But many families don’t yet realize that an examination of the brain, spine, and nerve system might be the most important check-up of all.

Parents in the know are paying attention – brain health is front and center in every family’s needs, but our neighbors are only now waking up to the pressing need to reduce brain stress to improve overall health.

So, include a chiropractic exam as part of those steps as the school year kicks off, and you’ll be covering one of the most significant issues affecting your family’s health and wellness.

In many places, scoliosis screening is mandated by law, and in others it’s strongly recommended as a solution to a serious public health issue – but most people don’t yet understand the relationship between the spine’s movement and brain health.

Nobel prize winning scientist Roger Sperry stated without reservation that the movement of the spine supplies 90% of the stimulation and nutrition to your brain – clearly, a chiropractic check-up should be part of your family’s health and wellness routine to start each school year.

After all, what kind of results can we reasonably expect from children in school if they neglect their brain health? It’s common sense, the healthier your brain, the better you’ll do in school.

But the brain does a lot more besides learning and cognitive function – it runs all the subtle mechanisms of your body, helping you breathe, digest food, move, and so on – it’s reasonable to say that a healthier brain leads to a healthier life, and one of the best ways to get your brain healthier is with safe, all-natural chiropractic care.

If your family is in need of an expert chiropractor in Bucks County or Montgomery County area, then we would love to be your family’s chiropractor! Radiant Life Chiropractic serves the Hatboro, Horsham, Warminster and surrounding communities with neurologically-based chiropractic care to help both adults and children live a healthier life!

chiropractors in Montgomery County, PA

Regular Chiropractic Care Proves to Deliver the Greatest Results!

Good health serves as one of life’s most treasured assets. The choices people make to acquire and maintain their wellbeing represent the extent to which people value the freedom that comes with a healthy life. That passion amplifies even more when it comes to the future of children and families. Reactive health care after someone becomes sick or debilitated costs a fortune in money, time, and emotional turmoil. A major demographic shift continues to evolve individual and family ideology towards proactive health care. People want to invest in health care which improves health, prevents degeneration, and promotes an overall improvement of function and well-being rather than waiting to treat symptoms after the body begins to face disease and sickness.

chiropractors in Montgomery County, PAMost health insurances focus more on sick care than health care. Sick care kicks in after a sickness, symptom, or disease begins to attack the body. Health care focuses on proactively taking care of the body so that problems, symptoms, or diseases never arrive. Chiropractic falls into both categories but provides the unique ability to proactively improve the body’s health and function while preventing degeneration by restoring spinal alignment, movement, and nervous system function.

An old adage declares that a healthy person carries a heart full of thousands of goals, dreams, and aspirations, but a person plagued by sickness or disease carries only one. A person’s precious health deserves to be cared for and maintained. People often take major steps of preventative care for automobiles, homes, and even their teeth while overlooking the body’s critical need for spine and nervous system care. General maintenance ensures maximized function. The benefits of chiropractic extend far beyond back and neck pain relief. Symptoms seemingly unrelated to the spine improve through chiropractic care due to the spine’s intimate relationship with the central nervous system. One of the great benefits of a chiropractic plan for health care stems from the body’s ability to resolve pain without the need for drugs and powerful pain killers. Adjustments also improve overall organ and system function to prevent future problems from occurring.

Studies continue to show the people who utilize chiropractic care with on-going checkups and adjustments experience better overall health than those who did not. The results of recent research completed in 2018 prove that patients who receive consistent chiropractic care after an initial treatment plan experience greater better quality of life. Chiropractic science involves so much more than simple pain relief. Spine and nervous system care help maximize function, improve mobility, and reduce the risks of further pain and degeneration. Understanding that health serves as one of life’s greatest assets goes hand in hand with engaging in preventative health care. Optimal health involves powerful and effective communication between structure and function within the body. Chiropractic adjustments improve the health of the spine to ensure better function. Chiropractic care approaches the root of pain and disease at the source by creating an environment where the body is free to flourish, heal, and approach the future with healthy resiliency. A plan for lifetime wellness care for the entire family begins with chiropractic.