As more and more of us spend significantly more amounts of time staring at computer screens as well as our smartphone screens, more and more people will suffer from what some people refer to as “tech neck,” but, also (for our intent and purpose) “text neck.”

First, text and tech neck are generally caused by poor posture and by staring at your computer or phone screen from an odd angle. You want to be staring straight forward, if not slightly upward while maintaining good posture in your back.

Looking down at your phone or your tablet or laptop also puts a significant amount of unnecessary pressure on your cervical spine, which promotes more wear and tear, which can cause costly problems down the road. Nerves also get compressed and misaligned as a result of staring at your phone or computer can be putting your head, neck, and spine at risk — all at once!

Keep in mind that text and tech neck is also being reported more and more among young people.

One way to reduce and diminish tech and text neck is to get up form your position every 15-30 minutes, if not at the very least once an hour and try to incorporate some stretches, maybe even a few yoga moves that remedy sitting in a chair or staring at a device.

Both tech and text neck and the lifestyle they promote cause a one-two punch that is bad for an active lifestyle. Minimizing your time on your devices is always a good choice. We know you have to do it for work, but you can try to do it less while you play.

Maintaining an active lifestyle will also help you avoid getting neck and back problems. If you have pain in your head, back, neck, spine, or even your legs, chiropractic care might be the drug-free solution for you. Contact Barton Chiropractic Clinic today to schedule your consultation.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (or CTS) might start out as a burning and tingling sensation in the palm of the hand or thumb (or both). Fingers might start to feel somewhat dysfunctional or even useless. Eventually, CTS will develop into stronger tingling sensations and loss of grip, affecting a person’s ability to perform even the most basic everyday tasks.

The American Chiropractic Association asserts that CTS generally shows up in adults and that it appears 3 times more frequently in women. Most generally, a patient’s dominant hand is most likely to be affected first. People who work jobs on the assembly line, plumbers, cleaners, data entry positions, even meat packers are more likely to experience carpal tunnel.

How Chiropractic Can Help Carpal Tunnel

Multiple studies have shown encouraging results when it comes to the effectiveness of chiropractic on carpal tunnel syndrome. A majority of patients studied show vast improvements in aspects affected by CTS, like increased range of motion, increased finger sensation, not to mention a reduction in overall pain.

Chiropractic: A Non-Invasive Treatment for Carpal Tunnel

While most advanced cases of CTS will need to be treated with surgery, chiropractic care makes that option a final resort. When patients who live with CTS schedule regular visits to their neighborhood chiropractor they can often show incredibly positive results when it comes to reducing and controlling CTS pain and symptoms.

If you’d like to know more about how Barton Chiropractic Clinic can help treat carpal tunnel, contact our office today. We have a long, demonstrated history of treating pain and discomfort the holistic, drug-free way.

Even though December and January are a couple of the least common birth months, it’s worth talking about the benefits chiropractic care has to offer pregnant women anyways.Chiropractic Care, It’s Great for Expecting MomsIf you’re a Mom to be out there, taking care of your body is of primary importance during pregnancy. Chiropractic care can…

For some strange reason chiropractic care is somewhat synonymous for treating those who experience injury. Chiropractic care is also attributed to those who are more advanced in age, but, in reality, chiropractic care can benefit patients of all ages.

Barton Chiropractic Clinic is your family-friendly chiropractor in Homewood, IL and we help patients ranging in age from babies to seniors, from injured workers to pregnant women.

Employees

It doesn’t matter if you have a job where you’re staring at a computer all day or on your feet and on the move for 40 hours a week — your back is constantly experiencing wear and tear. If you have poor posture, this can be putting even more stress on your back, neck and spine. That’s where expert chiropractic care comes through in the clutch. Chiropractic care is a great supplement to a heavy work week. 

Babies and Children

Chiropractic care can benefit babies and children — even newborns! Gentle and precise manipulations performed by a chiropractic care specialist can help to ease tension, strain, not to mention stress that can come along after natural birth or C-section. Chiropractic can also help correct nerve problems that come about from childbirth as well. Children of school age can also benefit — it puts a lot of strain on the back lugging around those book bags.

Men, Women, and Seniors

It doesn’t matter if you’re a young professional on the go, or a retired senior citizen, chiropractic care has many health benefits that extend beyond the spine. Even chronic conditions like fibromyalgia and arthritis can be treated with chiropractic care.

Contact Barton Chiropractic Clinic today to schedule your appointment. We have a long history of keeping our patients healthy and well — no matter their age!

Even thought Chiropractic has been around since 1895, we are still only scratching the surface as far as identifying its countless benefits to human health, wellness, and optimization.

Gallup poll after Gallup poll continues to find a majority of Americans believe chiropractic care helps effectively treat neck and back pain, not to mention controlled trial after controlled trial finding that spinal manipulation is beneficial in the treatment of conditions like chronic low back pain, knee osteoarthritis, not to mention neck pain. The many benefits of chiropractic care go beyond the back, even improving the relationship between the nervous system and the spine, have been shown to benefit functionality of many organs and systems throughout the body.

A Myriad of Techniques

Did you know that chiropractors utilize over 150 techniques that can manually adjust the joints, the neck, the spine, even muscles — all with varying degrees of force, which provides 360 degrees of treatment!

Experts Getting Onboard with Chiropractic Care for Chronic Conditions

Even medical industry leaders and medical doctors are showing their support for chiropractic care as first-line treatments that help relieve low back pain and arthritis — before resorting to using medication.

If you’d like to learn more about how chiropractic care can benefit your arthritis, contact Barton Chiropractic Clinic today. We’re here to help you get healthy and well.

At Barton Chiropractic Clinic we like to take the time during the holidays to recommend some gift ideas that are friendly for your back, neck, and spine — these are problem areas for a lot of people, our diverse patient base included.

Help Friends and Family Roll their Way into Wellness

Read on for one gift idea that you can get for family and friends that won’t kill your bank account and will at the same time relieve back pain: The Foam Roller!

Depending on which foam roller you decide to go with (there are several models), a decent one can help relieve chronic back conditions. Think of a properly-used foam roller as an at home deep tissue massage therapy session. Whoever you decide to give this excellent gift to can relieve damaged and achy muscles. Foam rollers are also excellent companions to injury rehabilitation. It’s also a great complement to a yoga practice.

Foam rollers can also help reduce shin splint pain and help increase oxygenated blood flow to the muscles, which will help with back pain and increase performance and energy. 

We would say that foam rollers would make a great stocking stuffer, but we doubt many of the models offered would fit.

Contact Barton Chiropractic Clinic for More Information Regarding Chiropractic Care in Homewood, IL

If you’d like any more chiropractic care advice, contact Barton Chiropractic Clinic to schedule your consultation. We combine innovative chiropractic care approaches with good old-fashioned comprehensive care.

Fibromyalgia happens to be one of the most common chronic pain conditions in the United States. The American College of Rheumatology asserts that about 1 out of 50 Americans live with fibromyalgia on a daily basis. Fibromyalgia is characterized by pain felt in the body (throughout the body) that ends up creating areas that are incredibly tender — even to the slightest amount of pressure.

Fibromyalgia is difficult to diagnose. Pains can last for weeks, months, years — Fibromyalgia is chronic in nature. Chiropractic Care is an alternative treatment that can help your fibromyalgia. Read on for a few ways we help our patients living with this chronic condition.

Chiropractic Care Helps with Pain Management

Those who live with fibromyalgia live with constant pain, and chiropractic care is one way to treat such pain. Chiropractic care can help with pain and also helps restore the body to better overall health. The body self-heals as a result.

Particularly, improving alignment and doing some soft tissue work, chiropractors help treat fibromyalgia patients in lowering the pain levels of their pressure points, creating a decrease in tenderness.

Chiropractic Care Boosts Range of Motion

By loosening the body’s joints, chiropractors can make adjustments and leave the body more flexible in the process.

Chiropractic Care is Good for Your Quality of Sleep

Patients find that one of the many byproducts of chiropractic care can help you enjoy a more fulfilling, deeper sleep. You’ll also stay asleep longer, experiencing less pain.

Contact Barton Chiropractic Clinic for more information if you’re living with fibromyalgia. We’ll schedule your initial consultation and give you the comprehensive care you need.

As millions of people head out in droves today to get some serious savings in, shrewd shoppers everywhere should take some time to take care of their bodies. A good way to perform a little bit of maintenance and remedy the everyday wear and tear we put on ourselves through work, activities, and even strenuous holiday weekends is to stretch it out. Here are 5 stretches that will serve you well before and after a heavy day of shopping.

1.) Cat-Camel Back Stretch

This is a popular yoga move that is well worth a mention. As far as technique goes, get down on your hands and your knees, then slowly alternate between arching and rounding your back, basically making a “C” with your spine, like a scared cat, then try to make a reverse “C” by bringing your neck up and arching your back. : This will stretch all 3 sections of your spine (the lower lumbar, the middle thoracic, and the upper cervical area).  Do this stretch gently. Don’t force it.

2.) Supine Cross-Legged Twist

Lie flat on your back with your arms outstretched, then cross one knee over the other (kind of like you’re crossing your legs and sitting in a chair). The next step is to shift your hips to the side (left side if you crossed your right leg, right side if you crossed your left leg), and softly allow your knees to drop. Breathe in deeply. Switch sides and enjoy!

3.) Standing Forward Bend

Save this for last. This stretch works best right after you do a downward dog yoga stretch. Stand straight, bring your feet together, then bend down while slightly bending the knees. Let your hands touch the ground. For extra leverage, you can cradle your elbows.

Make sure to breathe deeply in and out for each stretch. Conscious breathing will give you the added bonus of mental clarity and peace of mind, which seems to come in such small doses on Black Friday. Take care of yourself, and take care of others while you’re out there. And contact Barton Chiropractic Clinic today if you’re experiencing any lingering back pain that is resistant to stretching.

Chronic pain can cause a person to suffer from multiple problems that exist beyond the actual pain aspect. Chronic pain can cause anxiety and make a person feel like they’re losing control of their body — which is the ultimate humbling experience. 

Living with chronic pain is no easy task, but learning a few coping methods can help patients navigate their lives with less anxiety and more acceptance.

Though we treat patients who suffer from neck, back, and leg pain, we also deal with patients who suffer from chronic pain, and a large part of what we do is educate our patients and readership about ways they can live their best lives, which includes natural, at-home pain management techniques. Read on for 3 ways to cope with chronic pain at home, without resorting to prescription medication.

1.) Practice Meditation and Deep Breathing

There’s a reason why monks are able to sit in extreme temperatures and never break their meditation. It’s because the mind is a powerful tool. Meditation can help reduce anxiety, and deep breathing techniques have been shown to bring calmness to the mind and the body. A balance of meditation, deep breathing, and yoga (if you’re physician permits) can all work as a wellness trifecta, helping reduce pain and mental clutter.

2.) Get with a Support Group

If you suffer from chronic pain, there are support groups who meet regularly as a way to communicate and spread information. These people will understand what you go through on a daily basis and may even have answers to some of your problems and questions.

3.) Chart Progress and Acknowledge Success of All Sizes

Keep track of the healthy things you’re doing with your mind and your body. Invest in a dry erase board and log how many times you meditate, eat healthily, and do yoga. Set positive yet realistic goals and reward yourself when you achieve them. Having a positive frame of mind is key to successful pain management.

If you suffer from back, leg, or neck pain, schedule a consultation with Barton Chiropractic Clinic today. We have a long demonstrated history of treating many different types of pain the natural, holistic way.

The back can become injured in a variety of ways and it can happen even when we’re doing the most innocuous activities.

However, there are certain types of back injuries that we see a lot of at Barton Chiropractic Clinic.  We specialize in drug-free treatments which help our patients recover from injury and enjoy a better quality of life. A large part of what we do as chiropractic care specialists is provide education and information to our patients and readership that can help them avoid back pain and avoid sustaining injury.

Read on for a few of the more common ways that people injure their backs.

Back Strain (and Sprain) 

It’s a sad fact of reality that our lower backs end up taking the lion’s share of the pressure, the largest amount of stress — not to mention wear and tear. When we lift heavy, cumbersome objects and twist our backs, this can often result in injury or strain. Lumbar Strain is one possibility (occurring in the muscle fibers — which become torn in the process), same with Lumbar Sprain (this happens when your bone-holding ligaments are torn). The lumbar spine is the most common area of injury when it comes to the back.

Herniated Disc

You’ve likely heard of this condition, but we’ll elaborate on it anyway. Herniated discs occur during disc tear, which ends up spilling out, putting undue pressure on your surrounding nerves. This can result in sharp, shooting pains. This pain might radiate outward from the buttocks, reaching the backs of the legs (this is also referred to as sciatica), which will often be a sign of herniated disc.

Pinched Nerve

Nerve functionality can be damaged or compromised when nerve roots start to compress around your cervical vertebrae. This will, again, result in radiating pain, this time coming from your neck and shoulder region. Those who experience a pinched nerve might experience muscle weakness, tingling sensation, or a feeling of numbness in the extremities.

If you’re experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned above, it’s a good time to call your local Chiropractor. Barton Chiropractic Clinic serves the Homewood, IL area and its surrounding communities. Call today to schedule your consultation.