In this 3-part series, Barton Chiropractic Clinic goes over the 5 areas of your spine. Today we start with your Cervical Spine, which consists of the first seven vertebrae at the very top of the spine. In short, it’s the neck area.

The Job of the Cervical Spine

Your cervical spine has the vital job of supporting your head. Your cervical spine also enables flexibility and movement while facilitating blood flow to your brain. Your cervical spine houses and protects the top section of your spinal chord.

Cervical Spine Misalignment

Physical traumas and more minor stressors can have an impact on your cervical spine. Having bad posture is another way to get your cervical spine misaligned. Subluxations occur when vertebrae get knocked out of alignment, putting pressure on spinal nerves, which disrupts communication between the brain and the rest of the body.

The Many C’s

Your C1-C7 communicates with optic nerves, auditory nerves, sinuses, pituitary gland, scalp, face bones, cheeks, outer ear, vocal chords, neck muscles, shoulders, tonsils, thyroid gland, elbows, and so much more! So, as you can imagine, a subluxation in your cervical spine can cause some serious troubles.

So, what to do when you have troubles in your cervical spine? Contact Barton Chiropractic Clinic today. Schedule your initial consultation and we’ll get you back to active in no time.

Stay tuned for our next entry, which covers your thoracic spine!

At Barton Chiropractic Clinic we often talk about the particulars of your back and your spine. We talk about ways to protect your spine and measures you can take to avoid injury, but a big part of taking care of your back involves strengthening it. Think of it as a more offensive measure to ensure your back is strong and healthy, which will drive you to new levels of wellness and productivity.

As you head out for the July 4th holiday, it’s a great opportunity to think outside the box and try to do something healthy for your body, instead of engaging in what a large percentage of folks will be doing — boozing it up. 

Read on for a few suggestions when it comes to activities that will engage your core or your back and spine — or all three!

Paddleboarding

We’re a big fan of this one because it engages your core — and you don’t have to worry about the monotony of the gym. Depending on where you go, you might be looking at a pristine body of water in the mountains — a totally therapeutic, core-engaging experience.

Rock Climbing

Of course, it’s important to always maintain safety. Outdoor rock climbing areas exist and you can work on the buddy system to make sure you’re safely harnessed and supported. There are also indoor facilities that optimize safety and can give you one-on-one training.

Outdoor Yoga

Yoga is great for your back — just make sure that you have a strong foundation. It’s important that you get instruction from a certified yogi first. Once you feel comfortable with the basics, you can build your own practice. If you know what you’re doing, strike out this 4th of July for some valuable YOU time. Stretch it out in the outdoors.

Contact Barton Chiropractic Clinic if your 4th is less than stellar. It’s not a rare thing for us to see patients who get whiplash from jet-skiing, wakeboarding, and a multitude of additional 4th of July festivities. We’re committed to getting and keeping our diverse patient base active and well for life!

You only get one spine, and that can be a sad fact of reality to some. But others who choose to be conscious of their bodies and take charge of their wellness can start taking an interest in their spine health at any stage in life.

Read on to learn a few ways that you can keep your spine healthy, because your spine is at the center of everything, in charge of support of your body as well as protection of your internal organs and central nervous system.

As promised, here are a few ways you can increase your spine health on a daily basis.

Let Your Spine Rest

When you sleep, make sure that all of your spine structures are in a comfortable (and supported) resting position. Choice of pillows and mattress is entirely up to your preference, but your body will tell you quickly what it likes and does not like. You want the right blend of comfort and support.

Engage That Core of Yours

It’s important to work and engage your core muscles as they are rarely used in everyday activities. Try targeted exercises, many of which you can do at home, in the office, or outside during a lunch break. People might look at you weird, but who cares? This is your wellness we’re talking here. Your core is your midsection; it involves all muscles in that area (including the traverse abdominis (TVA), the obliques, lower lats, and your erector spinae. Your core acts as a stabilizer for your entire body.

Wear Good Shoes

Many of us are guilty of going cheap when it comes to work shoes. However, the fact that many of us work 40-60 hour work weeks, this can be a bad idea. Make sure to spring for shoes that provide good lower back support. Having a good base keeps your spine in line. Consider orthotics or inserts if you need more balance and support.

Another great way to take care of your spine is to visit your experienced chiropractor near you. Barton Chiropractic Clinic provides chiropractic care treatments year-round, for patients of all fitness levels and from all walks of life.

It’s a common misconception that only those who are more advanced in age seek chiropractic care. On the contrary, taking care of one’s spine and nervous system is a lifelong pursuit that should be considered as early as possible.

Childhood Chiro

Chiropractic care can prove especially beneficial during a person’s developmental years.

Let’s for a moment think of our central nervous systems (consisting of brain and spinal cord) like a big fuse box. Subluxations (blown fuses in the fuse box) can cause reactions like bed wetting, constipation, colic, ear infections, torticollis, sleeping problems, acid reflux, and more. Subluxations can happen due to trauma, stress, injury, even chemical stress from certain types of medication. Subluxations need to be corrected with safe and effective chiropractic adjustments just like they would with an older person.

Build Happy Little Trees

Think about a young person as a little tree growing. You love that tree, that’s why you want it to grow nice and straight — that way the tree is as strong and as sturdy as it can be. Helping that tree grow correctly from its early stages of growth seems like the right thing to do, right?

Chiropractors offer drug-free treatments, pain relief that lasts for the long haul. We’re all about keeping our patients active and healthy at Barton Chiropractic Clinic, no matter the age.

Contact a Chiropractic Care Specialist in Homewood, IL

Contact Barton Chiropractic Clinic today to schedule your consultation or your child’s consultation. We’ll get you back to active in no time, no matter your age. We provide our services to a widely diverse patient base from our community.

Barton Chiropractic Clinic would like to go over some ways that our patients and readership can take care of their back and spine as a way to reduce or eliminate lower back pain, which is prevalent among both sexes and all ages.

Being concerned about your back and spine should be a lifelong pursuit. All too often people only start thinking about their spine health when they start to experienced more advanced age.

Below we’ll go over some ways to reduce or eliminate back injury and lower back pain. However, if you have back, neck, or spine pain that persists beyond taking the following measures, contact us for a consultation and we’ll get to the bottom of it.

Engage Your Core

We know, we say this all the time, but it’s true! If you engage in exercises that work your core, you’ll build strong muscles which are important for lower back support — which will help you avoid injuries down the road. Low-impact cardio will also help increase blood flow to your spine — as well as transport healing nutrients and hydration to lower back structures.

Use Good Posture

When you slouch, you’re putting your spine in an unnatural position which can cause pressure and result in degenerated discs. Using an ergonomic chair is a really good idea — see if your boss can spring for one. If you’re the boss, go ahead and spring for one!

Life Correctly and With Caution

Don’t be the hero and don’t hold heavy objects away from your body. Instead, bring boxes and objects in close to lift. Lift with your legs — not with your back.

If you have stubborn lower back pain that seems like it won’t go away, contact Barton Chiropractic Clinic today. We’ll get you back to active in no time.

If you’re a runner, a lifter, or a person who engages in any sort of strenuous activity, you’ve likely wondered if stretching is really necessary before, during, or after a workout.

The American College of Sports Medicine believes that it’s a good idea to stretch each major muscle group 2x or more weekly for 60 seconds per exercise. The idea is to stay flexible as a way to improve performance and avoid injury.

Stretching Now Will Help Later

Regular stretching will help ensure that your hips and hamstrings stay flexible and pliable as you advance in age. If you sit in one position most of the day, stretching the opposite direction will help your spine and back.

To Stretch Before or After a Workout

The best time to stretch is when your muscles are warmed-up and pliable, maybe during a hot yoga class, or right after exercising, like a brisk walk or a run. It is believed that stretching strenuously before your workout can decrease explosiveness and reduce performance. 

How Long do I Hold This?

Holding your stretches for 15-30 seconds is a good idea. Dynamic stretching — like the cat-camel stretch — can be used to move a muscle group through a fluid range of motion to add dimension to your stretching routine.

The perfect companion piece to your stretch routine is Barton Chiropractic Clinic. We offer chiropractic care treatments that will help you stay active for the long haul and avoid injuries down the road. Contact us today to schedule your initial consultation.

Barton Chiropractic Clinic treats a wide patient base, providing drug-free chiropractic care and wellness services that help our clients get active again while unlocking new potential in the mind and body. So much is riding on your spine — it’s connected to your body and your brain.

Getting an adjustment or other types of treatments will help correct misalignment (subluxations) found in a patient’s vertebrae, subluxations which can end up disrupting your brain/body communication system. Chiropractic care can make a HUGE difference in anyone’s overall health, especially as we advance in age, which is why chiropractic treatment might be the perfect gift for Dad this Father’s Day. Here are a few reasons why.

Because He’s Likely Neglecting Himself

Dad might be one of those old-school guys who will live and continue to work with an ache or an injury until it becomes a more serious issue. That’s where you can step in and get him the treatment he needs but would never ask for.

Because Life Brings About Wear and Tear

It doesn’t matter what you do, work and routine are bound to have an impact on your back and spine. Even those of us who sit for long periods of time are at risk for back and spine problems. Chiropractic treatment is not only a preventive treatment, but it also becomes necessary to maintain the body and stay active for patients of a certain age.

Because He’s Earned It

Likely, Dad works hard. And, many times, he’s not doing the work out of selfishness. It’s never really about him. That’s why on Father’s Day, Barton Chiropractic Clinic’s signature chiropractic treatments can be the perfect gift, where the focus on totally on Dad for a change. It’s the gift he might not even know he wants. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.

We talk a lot about daily activities that can compromise our spine and our back. Running is another activity that, when performed without keeping your spine in mind, could end up putting your back out of whack. Below are some tips that will help you get the most out of your conditioning without causing lower back and spine pain.

Stretch it Out

Some macho type runners will refuse to stretch before and after their workouts, which is unfortunate. Stretching will make you more flexible and more limber before your run, and stretching will also loosen your muscles and relieve your joints after you get after it out there.

Invest in Great Footwear

Think about it, if you’re serious about your running, then you should be willing to spend a little extra on your shoes. 300-500 miles is a good lifespan for a pair of running shoes. Make sure that you’re getting new ones once you hit that milestone — it will make things easier on your joints and your lower back.

Explore the Health Benefits of Chiropractic Care

Barton Chiropractic Clinic offers comprehensive Chiropractic Care services in Homewood. If you continue to run, consider your lower back as a shock absorber. When you’re running or jogging, that repetitive impact on your spine can put a lot of stress on your discs. If you experience back or spine pain, contact us today to schedule your consultation. Chiropractic Care is the ultimate companion piece to an active lifestyle.

We’d like to go over some pursuits, activities, and everyday acts that many of us engage in that are less than ideal for our spine in addition to other areas of the body, like the lower back and the neck, for instance.

At Barton Chiropractic Clinic we believe just as much in preventive medicine as we do in our Chiropractic Care treatments — which is why we like to provide educational materials to our diverse patient base as well as our readership online.

Read on for key contributors to spine pain.

Lack of Exercise

This is particularly true of your abdominal strength-building exercises — also has to do with “engaging your core,” which you’ve probably heard many fitness enthusiasts talk about.

Lack of exercise also contributes to poor posture, which can inevitably lead to lower back pain. Being active and working your core will increase your stability when it comes to the back muscles, which will help prevent future injury. Do lots of cardio, like swimming, walking, and bicycling. If you run, it’s important to complement your training with Chiropractic Care.

Sitting All Day / Poor Posture

It’s a sad reality that many of us spend long periods of time sitting at a desk — if not all day. We stare at the computer screen at weird angles and many of us practice less than perfect posture (to put it lightly). It’s important to invest in an ergonomic chair that has a head and neck rest. 

Improper Lifting

This is one of the most common culprits when it comes to back injury. When you’re lifting objects that are anything over 5-10 lbs, it’s important to incorporate your legs and that you keep the weight close to the body. In other words, don’t hold what you’re carrying away from the body.

If you take these considerations to heart, you may just end up sparing yourself an injury. But we do know that accidents happen. And if such an event occurs, contact Barton Chiropractic Clinic today to schedule your consultation. We provide wide-ranging, drug-free treatments that will get you back to active in no time.

Chiropractors utilize the chiropractic adjustment to remove a patient’s subluxations (or misalignments) that are found in a patient’s vertebrae.

It can make a HUGE difference in your overall health. If you leave your spine and back unchecked and neglected, your subluxations could end up disrupting the brain/body communication system. This can end up causing an entire slew of problems. Subluxations can be complex and can come about by accident, injury, muscle tightness, stress, over (or under) stretched ligaments, in addition to other instabilities.

An adjustment can do a great job of addressing these core issues by realigning subluxations directly. You can use additional therapies which will help to stabilize and optimize the body, which will do a whole lot for your health and wellness.

Read on for a few ways to get the most out of your chiropractic adjustment.

Continue to Stretch

If you work at an office or if you’re on your feet all day, stretching before or after your day (or both!) is a great way to keep your body flexible and able to withstand the everyday wear and tear. Try to incorporate yoga stretches that engage your spine for added benefits.

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate

Water has so many health benefits, including removing toxins from the body, as well as keeping your joints and spinal discs supple and lubricated. Be sure to drink plenty of water and disperse this practice throughout your day. It’s a good rule to drink about half your weight in ounces — meaning, if you’re 150 pounds, drink at least 75 ounces daily.

Sleep Well

In this go, go, go culture, you need to make sure you take the time to get your requisite 7.5-9 hours of sleep nightly. Sleep on your side or your back, if you’re able to. Springing for pillows that support your neck and hips is well worth the investment. Nice pillows between the knees and behind the neck equal better spine alignment and takes some portion of the stress and strain from your spine as well as your other joints.

Of course, the best way to continue to experience the benefits of chiropractic care is to be committed to continuous spine health. We can help you achieve this at Barton Chiropractic Care. We’re the spine alignment, chiropractic adjustment specialists in Homewood, IL.