It doesn’t matter who you are, back and neck problems can happen anytime, anywhere. It doesn’t matter what your vocation is, whether you are on your feet all day or sitting in front of a computer 40 hours a week. As a matter of fact, about 8 out of 10 Americans will have a back problem at some point in their lives.

As a way to fight back pain and keep you in the game for the long haul, Barton Chiropractic Clinic would like to go over a few ways to reinforce your back, neck, and spine from home.

Make Sure to Stretch

You don’t have to drop any serious coin on classes or anything, but you can watch a few yoga videos on YouTube and incorporate some of those moves into either a morning or an evening stretch routine. It’s actually a great idea to split up your stretching between the morning and the evening, both as a way to calibrate your body after a night of sleeping on a mattress, and reinforcing your body after a day’s grind.

Make Sure that You Belly Breathe

When you tuck in your belly button and take deep, cleansing breaths, you’re actually improving your posture, enabling your spine’s nerves to move through proper channels more freely. Simply by doing this act you’ll cut down on overall back pain with the addred benefit of increasing your sense of well-being. Namaste!

Find a Way to Do Perfect Push-Ups and Perfect Pull-Ups

We like exercise, but make sure you’re incorporating proper form, especially when you’re doing push-ups and pull-ups, which are both great for your upper body. They both help strengthen your back as well. Incorporate some exercises for your core to go the extra mile for your back, neck, and spine.

Engaging in a regular meditation practice, cutting down on your caffeine intake, and committing yourself a structured, consistent sleep routine will give your body what it needs to recharge for the next day.

For patients and prospective patients feeling anything less than 100%, contact Barton Chiropractic Clinic today. We’ll get you back to fully active in no time.

People looking to correct their posture have more than a few options for assistance in their quest for achieving good posture — which helps protect your neck and back as a result.

One of these devices is called a posture corrector (also called back brace), which generally makes an effort to retrain your musculature, which, in the end, has the intention of helping wearers maintain their upright, posture-perfect position without exerting much in the realm of effort.

Posture correctors are especially good for people who have to spend a significant amount of time in front of a computer, which can promote muscle loss and less-than-stellar posture. We often see patients who have shoulders that are slouched forward as a result, not to mention neck and back problems as well.

Back braces used for posture improvement have been shown to help in building muscles that help you sit and stand upright.

Sitting upright and having good posture makes you appear thinner and taller — and who wouldn’t like to add those benefits to their repertoire?

Not to mention, when you slouch, you’re not getting the proper amount of oxygen into your body. This can affect your energy levels, which might force you to gain weight or inhibit your performance at work and in your personal life.

If you experience neck or back pain that not even posture correction devices can help, contact Barton Chiropractic Clinic today to schedule your consultation.

Neck pain (NP), lower back pain (LBP), as well as middle back pain (MBP) don’t discriminate when it comes to age. Actually, all three conditions are starting to become acknowledged as widely starting early on in life. Bad habits like poor posture, as well as everyday wear and tear, can contribute to flare-ups. During adolescence, back problems can develop, progress, and often reached aggravated levels as early as the age of 18.

That’s why taking care of your spine should be a lifetime pursuit that starts early. In many ways, we are all only as healthy as our spines.

Young People, Consider Chiropractic Care

Those who are less advanced in age start putting stresses on their body early on, especially when engaged in athletics. Remember that your bodies have not fully developed, yet you’re expecting them to perform at a world-class rate. Even walking the halls, carrying books in a backpack strapped over one shoulder can lead to back problems.

The solution: stay on top of your back and spine now by incorporating chiropractic care into your wellness routine. Chiropractic care is drug-free, pain-relieving, and even helps you to better stay focused.

Barton Chiropractic Clinic offers holistic, drug-free pain relief. We can help kids who are athletes, or kids who are dealing with back problems that they shouldn’t’ have to be. We’ll help you focus on the things that are important, like prom and whatnot, not some pesky back or neck problem.

Finding A Chiropractor Near You

Barton Chiropractic Clinic provides comprehensive Chiropractic Care services, operating out of Homewood, IL. We treat the entire family, from young to well-aged. Contact us today to schedule your consultation.

As our college-age and younger patients head back to school we like to remind them to take extra measures to take care of their back. We also remind our wide patient base that Barton Chiropractic Clinic specializes in treating patients of all ages — pretty much from infants and toddlers to our elder patients. We also treat children, adolescents, as well as young adults who need to keep their spine in line. Your back, neck, and spine take a lot of pressure as you lug your books from class to class.

Those chairs in the classroom likely aren’t doing you any favors, either. That’s why it’s important to schedule your visits with your chiropractic care specialist in Homewood, IL.

Chiropractic Care provides a holistic alternative for students looking to boost their wellness and their test scores. We can help in both treating and preventing:

• Muscle Stiffness
• Muscle Pain
• Stiff Neck
• Headaches
• Extracurricular Activity-Related Injury
• Nerve Disorders
• Lack of Focus
• Lack of Energy
• Back Pain / Back Stiffness
• Pain in the Abdomen
• Sciatica
• Scoliosis
• Arm, Leg, and Foot Pain
• Whiplash
• And More!

If that’s you carrying heavy packs of books and slouching in your chair 3-5 days a week — just know that there’s a better way. Symptoms associated with spine misalignment can have a serious effect on your productivity throughout the semester. An adjustment might just give you that extra edge you need during exams. Contact Barton Chiropractic Clinic today to schedule your consultation.

Spinal stenosis is a disorder that you might not have heard about until affects you or someone you know. It’s a disorder brought on by the narrowing of the spinal canal —  which comes as a result of facet joint and intervertebral disc degeneration. During spinal stenosis, bone spurs (also known as osteophytes) start to develop, which grow into your spinal canal. Your facet joints enlarge and become arthritic, which leaves minimal space for nerve roots. 

Spinal Stenosis and Spinal Distortion Symptoms Include:

Painful legs or buttocks, which is believed to be due to the compression of microvascular structures. Microvascular structures carry blood to nerve roots.

Patients living with spinal stenosis might also experience discomfort in the lower back area — some might experience such severe discomfort that they won’t be able to walk.

Some patients living with this unfortunate degenerative disease of the spine might not experience any symptoms at all.

In the most severe cases numbness may occur, or tingling, or weakness to the lower extremities.

A certain amount of spinal distortion is going to occur virtually every individual. For most of us, it’s an unfortunate fact of life as we age. The severity of symptoms generally depends on the patient’s spinal canal size as well as nerve encroachment. Deterioration rate will be different from patient to patient.

If you believe you suffer from spinal stenosis or spinal distortion, chiropractic care might be the right choice for you. Contact Barton Chiropractic Clinic today to schedule your consultation.

As the summer months draw to a close and the autumnal months approach, we thought it would be a good idea to remind patients to take a personal inventory. It’s important to take stock of your health and wellness as a way to check in with yourself — it’s a great way to energize and replenish your body and mind for the final push through 2018.

A big part of taking care of your body is engaging in physical activity, yet taking the time to give your body the routine maintenance it needs to thrive. Stretching is one of those routine maintenance measures, but so is checking in with your local chiropractor. 

At Barton Chiropractic Clinic we have a long track record of keeping our patients healthy and active for the long haul.

Have You Met Your 2018 Goals?

Think about the goals you set out for yourself for this year? Did you keep to your diet and exercise plan? Did you get that promotion at work? By the end of September, we all should have a pretty good idea where we stand when it comes to achieving and completing what we set out for ourselves at the beginning of the year. If your goal is still within reach, now is the time to make a big push forward. A chiropractic adjustment might be just what you need to take you over the top!

Can You Make/Achieve Bite-Sized Goals?

Since there are only 3 months left out of the year, ask yourself what you can achieve from now till the end of December. Maybe it’s doing that last bit of volunteer work you’ve been meaning to do. Maybe it means training for (and participating in) that 5k on Thanksgiving day. Push yourself — it’s the 4th quarter!

Start Thinking About 2019

You may think it’s a little bit early, but you can start mapping out your goals for the coming year. Take stock of what you achieved, address any areas you have where you see an opportunity for improvement. Make 2019 better than 2018 wherever you can!

Finish out the year strong by scheduling an adjustment with Barton Chiropractic Clinic. We incorporate both classic techniques and innovative treatments that help our patients optimize their health and their lives.

Many people might have their theories about which is better when it comes to sitting or standing at work. Maybe your boss has one of those cool elevating desks and rubs it in everyone’s face — all the people who have to sit down to earn a living.

Okay, maybe that’s all a little dramatic. But the debate is very real, and the lines of division have been drawn. Barton Chiropractic Clinic will discuss the pros and cons of each and let you, the reader, decide on your own.

Regardless, there are serious drawbacks to sitting for 8 hours a day — no matter which way you slice the pie. Sitting for hours on end is not good for your metabolic health or your longevity.

Well, standing all day isn’t exactly a pony ride, either. Ask any server at a restaurant — long bouts on your feet isn’t so great, either, and can lead to physical discomfort in the ankles, knees, hips, back, and neck. Standing all day can also make you fatigued and cut down on your focus.

Instead, try to mix it up. Try to get up at least once an hour and walk to the water cooler, or walk the floor of your place of work. If you work from home, have a quick fitness routine you do at the top of each hour, so you can break up the monotony.

Whether you stand or sit at work, there’s always a chance for injury or strain. If you’re anything less than 100% and need an adjustment, contact Barton Chiropractic Clinic today. We’ll schedule your consultation immediately and get you back to active as soon as possible, drug-free.

Most employers take their safety protocol very seriously. Many companies pride themselves on keeping long streaks of injury-free workdays. However, even in the face of good intentions, work-Related Injuries are still all too common. As an experienced chiropractor in Homewood, IL, we see a lot of patients who get injured on the job. That being said, we thought it would be a good idea to go over some of the most common work injuries, so our patients and readership can avoid costly injuries down the road that keep you out of work — which can take a serious hit to your self-esteem and your finances.

Thousands of workplace injuries occur each year varying in degrees of severity.

Below are some of the most common workplace injuries to be avoided at all cost.

1.) Slips and Falls

Could be a wet floor, could be an employee wearing improper footwear. Slips and falls occur most frequently in job settings where people are on their feet a lot. The restaurant industry is notorious for producing many workplace injuries in this category, which can result in all sort of injuries, ranging from back pain to torn ACL.

2.) Repetitive Strain

If you’re doing the same motion over and over again at your work, you’re increasing your chances of experiencing an injury in that area of the body. Work-related strain also has to do with carpal tunnel syndrome, back pain, and vision problems.

3.) Motor Vehicle Accidents

Many of us drive vehicles, whether it’s for a company or for a rideshare service. This means that more and more people are on the road, risking their safety to get where they need to go. Auto accidents especially are a culprit for taking people out of work.

If you experience an accident and suffer from back, neck, or lower and upper extremity pain, contact Barton Chiropractic Clinic today. We’ll schedule your consultation today and get you back to active the drug-free way.

As the summer comes to a conclusion hopefully we all have a few stories of us getting outside, enjoying the beach, maybe climbing a mountain or hiking on a trail. During the summertime, we put extra pressure on ourselves to get out and experience the world beyond the interiors of our homes and workplaces, which means we put extra pressure on our bodies, our spine, neck, and lower back especially.

Below are a few reasons why a visit to the chiropractor just might be the secret ingredient to enjoying an injury-free autumn, winter, and beyond.

Because You Might Not Show Symptoms and Still May Have a Problem

That right, you might have a spinal maladjustment or subluxation that can be causing problems and missed connections between your central nervous system and the rest of your body. Your brain and your spine have a symbiotic relationship, and spinal adjustments play a big role in keeping that communication crisp and clear.

Improve Your Digestion!

Many of us like to consider ourselves foodies, so it’s pretty safe to wager that a large number of us might have splurged a bit during the summer months when it’s a little easier to justify spending an afternoon consuming drinks and apps. A visit to the chiropractor is good for your digestive tract and study after study keeps proving the gut-brain connection to be true. Your stress levels, poor diet, and inflammation can all be contributing to poor digestion, which a trip to the chiropractor can help solve in just one visit.

Because Body Maintenance is Smart

Utilize some of your spare resources to invest in a trip to the chiropractor, you won’t be sorry. You’ll watch your wellness and productivity levels increase as your mental clarity increases. You’ll get more in touch with your body as we help adjust the spine and clear any blockages between your brain, spine, and the rest of your body.

Contact Barton Chiropractic Clinic today to schedule your consultation.