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.

In this day and age, with the onset of automation, many of us spend long chunks of time sitting down, staring at a computer screen. Even manual laborers and other vocations that have an opportunity to work outside fall victim to putting the body through wear and tear.

That’s why it’s important to stay active. It’s important for the office worker to find ways and reasons to get up from their desk and it’s important for the mechanic to get out from under the hood a few times per shift to engage in some healthy activities that you can do pretty much anywhere.

Read on for a few tips and tricks to stay active while at work.

1.) Incorporate a Team Stretch

Get your coworkers involved so you don’t feel like you’re being watched. It’s important to get up from your desk once every hour to engage in some simple stretches. Try to incorporate some yoga moves that address your spine, your neck, your shoulders, and your hips.

2.) Join the Company Softball Team

If your job has a company softball team, that’s a great excuse to get active and to be a part of the team. You’ll get to engage with your cohort in a brand new way.

3.) Volunteer Yourself

If somebody needs someone to go on a run, guess who that someone should be? You! Whether it’s across the office or across town, volunteering yourself to take care of tasks is a great way to distinguish yourself at work, show your boss you’re someone to be relied upon, and even gets you out of the desk or out from wherever you perform your job.

Bonus Pro Tip: Ride Your Bicycle to Work!

We hope some of this information helps. If you feel like your job has your back, neck, or spine out of whack, contact Barton Chiropractic Clinic today. We’ll get you back to active in no time.

Lifting objects can often put a strain on the body, especially when we practice poor techniques that put unnecessary pressure on the spine. 

Did you know that many work injuries occur due to improper lifting techniques? It’s a shame, especially considering employers often stress incorporating proper lifting techniques during training. Lifting heavy and even slightly heavy items (think boxes, a desk, a heavy lamp or clock, a bookshelf, etc.) with improper technique can result in musculoskeletal injuries — and you might not even be aware that an injury has occurred.

Read on for some quick proper lifting tips.

1. Keep a wide base — it gives you added support!
2. Your feet should always be shoulder-width apart, and it helps to have one foot slightly forward from the other (think of a person in a karate stance).
3. Squat. Bending down to the object and lifting with your legs while maintaining good posture (back upright, looking straight ahead with your chest out and the shoulders back).
4. Lift with your legs. Do this by straightening your knees and hips — not your back. Make sure not to twist while you lift.

Bonus tip: Hold everything you lift load as close to the body as possible, preferably at belly-button level.

If you experience a back or neck injury due to improper lifting, or if you experience a spine injury despite incorporating our tips above (believe us, it happens!), contact Barton Chiropractic Clinic today. We’ll schedule your consultation and get you back to active in no time!

Whiplash can happen due to a forceful or rapid back-and-forth movement which results in neck injury — it’s much akin to the cracking of a whip (hence the name).

If you’ve been in a recent auto accident, especially if you were rear-ended, it could be likely that you might have experienced some degree of whiplash. Whiplash can also occur due to sports injury, like in football, hockey, even boxing. Whiplash can also happen due to physical abuse or trauma.

Below are some signs and symptoms that you may have whiplash, in which case you should make an appointment with a chiropractor near you immediately.

1.) Look for Pain, Stiffness, or Headaches

If you have headaches, pain in the neck, or stiffness in the neck, it’s pretty much a telltale sign that you have whiplash.

2.) Loss of Range of Motion

If you’re having trouble moving your head and neck about as you normally do, then chances are you have whiplash and should seek treatment immediately.

3.) Tenderness in the Shoulder, Upper Back, and Arms

When you’ve experienced whiplash you might have pain in surrounding areas of the neck, like the shoulder, back, and your arms.

Select few patients have the following symptoms:

• Blurred vision
• Ringing in the Ears
• Irritability
• Memory Problems
• Difficulty with Concentration

If you’re experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned above, it’s time to schedule an appointment with Barton Chiropractic Clinic today. Schedule your appointment with us today and we’ll get you on the path to wellness again.

If you’ve been in a car accident, whether it was your fault or not, you may have experienced an injury. You might not be feeling any symptoms, but all sorts of problems can result from a car accident, especially those of the back, neck, and spine.

Read on for a few reasons why, after a car accident, you should definitely schedule an appointment to see a chiropractic care specialist. For an experienced chiropractor in Homewood, IL, contact Barton Chiropractic Clinic today.

You Could Have an Injury and Not Know It

People who endure auto accidents might not feel anything initially after the incident, due to the fact that there is no acute pain. This doesn’t mean that there’s no injury and that said injury doesn’t need treatment.

To Prevent Long-Term Injury

Whiplash is a common injury that results from an auto accident.  after an auto accident. When you leave this untreated, this can significantly reduce body strength and mobility.

Because You Need to Treat the Cause, Not the Symptoms

Maybe you do feel pain. Don’t simply pop an aspirin. Instead, contact Barton Chiropractic Clinic today for treatments that give you lasting results. We offer drug-free treatments that will get you back to feeling great and staying active.

A vertebral subluxation is defined as a misalignment of the vertebra, which has no proven scientific link to health defects or disease, but it has been shown to be linked to all sorts of physical maladies.

Read on for a few telltale signs of vertebral subluxation from Barton Chiropractic Clinic.

Misalignments in the spine lead to nerve compression, which can result in neck and back pain, but also these additional symptoms:

• Increased Dizziness
• Problems with Balance
• Spasms in the Spinal Muscle
• Muscle Tightness or Weakness
• Pain
• Numbness
• Tingling in the Extremities
• Joint Pain
• Joint Tenderness and Stiffness

How to Treat Vertebral Subluxation

Chiropractic care (also termed as chiropractic manipulation) has grown to become a widely accepted alternative to surgery. It’s been shown to effectively treat subluxations as well as degenerative spine conditions like osteoarthritis, and degenerative disc disease.

Chiropractic care can be used in conjunction with other drug-free, holistic treatments, not to mention exercise — like yoga, for instance. If you’ve experienced vertebral subluxation that persists for weeks or even months, then it’s likely time to make an appointment with us.

Barton Chiropractic Clinic has a long history of providing effective, conservative, drug-free treatment to patients suffering from neck, back, and leg pain. We’ll get you back to active in no time.

Some of us have to work jobs that put pressure on different parts of the body. A pitcher’s arm, for instance, after the end of a long career, is likely going to have a lot of wear and tear — much more than someone who only engaged in normal, everyday activities.

The same is true for a gardener, who spends much of their time hunched down, which can put pressure on the spine.

In 2016, the North American Spine Society (NASS) surveyed its members, asking them to indentify the worst vocations for your back. Some of the answers are a bit surprising, too.

Below we’ll discuss some of the worst jobs for your back as well as go over some ways that you can ease the tension in your back, neck, and spine.

Being a Mom or Performing “Mom-ly” Duties

Pregnancy, breastfeeding, and care-giving can take a serious toll on your spine health. This might come about from the day-to-day activities of being a Mom, or the daily grind of running or working at a daycare.

Even the little things like lifting a child all day and hauling around a cumbersome diaper bag puts undue pressure on your spine.

In order to remedy this, try an ergonomic, backpack-style diaper bag instead of its over-the-shoulder counterpart. Try to also invest in an easy load stroller or carriage device to make life easier on yourself.

Dentists, Doctors, and Nurses

Believe it or not, being an orthodontist, endodontist, and even a general practitioner can put you at increased risk for neck and back problems. Dentists spend much of their time hunched over their patients, trying to create Hollywood-level smiles.

Nurses also spend a lot of time on their feet, transferring patients, lugging heavy equipment. It’s also a high stress situation — all of which make a person more susceptible to pain and injury.

Stretching yourself out during a shift — let’s say once every hour or so — can go an extremely long way in preserving your back, neck, and joints. Try shoulder and neck rolls, neck bends, and hamstring stretches!

Office Workers

Office workers spend much of their days hunched over a computer, staring at a computer screen. More often than not, a person’s office usually isn’t springing for top-of-the-line ergonomic options when it comes to chair and desk setup.

The day-to-day inactivity also takes its toll on the common office worker as well, so be careful to mix things up whenever you can.

This might mean standing up to do a stretch routine, retreating to the breakroom to do some push-ups when nobody’s watching (even if people are — who cares; it’s your spine health!), or simply getting up from your desk and walking to the water cooler at the top of every hour.

If your job has you experiencing back or neck pain, don’t spend another day in discomfort. Contact Barton Chiropractic Clinic today to schedule your consultation.