The American Chiropractic Association asserts that 31 million Americans acquire low-back pain at any given time in their lives. Read on for some important facts and statistics regarding lower back pain.

Lower Back Pain by the Numbers

• Low back pain happens to be the leading cause of disability in the world (that’s according to the Global Burden of Disease back in 2010).
• As a result, back pain is the most common excuse people use when they miss work.
• Back pain is also the 2nd leading reason for doctor visits (beat out only by infections of the upper respiratory system).
• 50% of working Americans have back pain symptoms over the course of the year.
• Medical specialists and experts assert that nearly 80% of the population will have back problems at some point in their lifespan.

Lastly, Americans end up spending over $50 billion every year treating their back pain.

Don’t Let LBP Go Untreated

Understanding what type of back pain you’re experiencing is essential and your back pain should be addressed by a medical professional immediately so your condition can be diagnosed and managed appropriately.

Living with back pain won’t make it disappear. Delaying an accurate diagnosis can lead to additional problems, or, at the very least aggravate problems you already have. You also run the risk of creating long-term damage, or even permanent damage beyond the pain that will certainly influence your day to day activities.

What Do I Do If I Have LBP and Need a Chiropractor Near me?

Contact Barton Chiropractic Clinic today. We offer homeopathic remedies and services that work without resorting to surgery. We’re committed to getting you back up and active again. Call (708) 922-1400 to schedule your one-on-one consultation today.

The American Chiropractic Association reports that 9 out of 10 Americans suffer from headaches. That might mean an occasional headache or frequent headaches. Some headaches you experience might be light and dull, others might be more serious, pounding headaches.

What Barton Chiropractic Clinic would like to do is let our patients know about how minor adjustments and spinal manipulation can help alleviate headaches in today’s blog. Too often people in this country will seek out medication and pop a pill to alleviate a symptom when a homeopathic remedy is ready and available.

Convincing research has shown that spinal manipulation, which is a primary treatment offered at Barton Chiropractic Clinic, may be an effective treatment that alleviates tension headaches and pain in the head that originates in the neck. We have a lot more information about studies that show the benefits of chiropractic care when it comes to various types of headaches here.

What Might Be Causing Your Headache

Headaches can happen due to a number of variables (or triggers), including:

• Certain Foods
• Environmental Toxins
• External Stimuli (Noises, Lights, Commotion)
• Internal Stimuli (Anxiety, Lack of Sleep / Insomnia)
• Behaviors (Insomnia, Excessive Exercise, Caffeine Consumption, Blood Sugar Changes, and More)

What Can Barton Chiropractic Clinic Do For Your Headache?

We perform spinal manipulations as well as chiropractic adjustments, which will help improve spinal functionality, alleviating stress in the process.
We’ll also provide nutritional counseling and recommend lifestyle changes that will help you. We can also provide tips on how to keep good posture, how to stay active without compromising your back, neck, and spine, as well as provide relaxation techniques.

If you live with headaches, you don’t have to suffer any longer. Call Barton Chiropractic Clinic to schedule your initial consultation today at (708) 922-1400.

If you’re one of the millions of Americans who suffer from back pain, we’d like to go over some common sources that could be contributing to that pain and uncomfortableness. 

Barton Chiropractic Clinic would also like to remind patients and readers that back pain is not something to resign yourself to. If your back or spine is anything less than 100%, there are treatments and services we provide that can help reduce and even eliminate back pain, spine problems, and even neck and leg pain.

There’s a lot we can do to make your life more tolerable and enjoyable. Our mission is to get every patient back to being active and healthy.

Common Contributors to Back and Spine Pain

Injury — this is a common source of back pain. You can sprain and strain ligaments that support your spine. This includes the facet joints. You might fall or use poor mechanics/form that lands you a back injury that can take you out of everyday activities, even work.

Bulging Disc / Herniated Lumbar — this is when the contents of the disc (called nucleus pulposus) spill through its outer layer (also called annulus fibrosus), which compresses the spinal nerve root. This can often cause pain, which can spread to the buttocks, the thighs, and other parts of the leg.

Degenerative Disc Disease — this generally is considered an age-related problem of the spine. As the aging process goes on, discs begin to lose water and dehydrate. Changes in shape might compromise the distance between vertebral bodies, which makes the nerve’s passageways narrow. The body tries to correct abnormal movement and cartilage on the facet joints can start to degenerate, developing bone spurs.

Less Common Causes of Back and Spine Pain

Spinal infections and both benign and malignant spinal tumors can also be the source of back pain, both tending to be less common than those mentioned above.

To avoid back and spine injury, it’s best to take care of your body and your mind through safe exercise, healthy eating, meditation, yoga, and by forming a great relationship with a chiropractor near you.

To schedule your next appointment with Barton Chiropractic Clinic, call (708) 922-1400 today.

Many of us sit for long hours on end, for extended periods of time, whether it be at work sitting at a desk, lounging on the couch in the midst of a Netflix binge, or even while standing.

Hidden Benefits of Good Posture

Good posture isn’t just something taught at charm schools in the past, it can actually enhance your life in many ways. Good posture can actually make you appear taller, it can enhance slimness, and can also make a person come across more confident. There are hidden health benefits behind having great posture, too. You can prevent back, neck, knee, and hip pain while also expanding your rib cage and diaphragm, giving your body more room to breathe and take in oxygen.

Good Posture While Sitting

We know it’s tempting, but you have to uncross your legs while sitting — it’s bad for your spine. Keep both feet evenly planted on the floor.

Adjust your chair hight so that your knees are a little bit lower than your hips. This will create a downward slope for your thighs. What we’re aiming for here is even weight distribution between your lower back, thighs, hips, and feet while you’re in the chair.

Keep your shoulders relaxed and open. Keep your abdominal muscles firm, but not tight. See if you can bring your navel in toward your spine, creating a fantastic foundation for you to keep throughout the day.

Try to keep your work at eye level. Too many of us have laptops that make us angle our head and neck downward, which compromises our posture. It’s also bad for the eyes, too. It’s a great way to make both your experienced chiropractor in Homewood, IL and your optometrist upset in one fell swoop.

If you can, try to stand up and move around for a couple of minutes every hour while you’re at work. There are even some Yoga Chair Exercises you can practice to break the monotony and reduce spine and lower back stress. If your boss gives you a hard time about it, maybe it’s a good time to dust off your resume.

What if I need a Chiropractor Near Me?

Don’t sweat it. Even if you keep good posture, certain activities and propensities will make you susceptible to back pain, neck pain, or even leg pain. We can help you with all three of those and more at Barton Chiropractic Clinic. Call (708) 922-1400 to make an appointment today.

You may or may not have heard the idea of “dim bulb” (or subluxation) is when there’s a slight misalignment of the vertebrae. Many experts consider it the source of more than a few health problems. 

When you suffer from dim bulb, it means your light isn’t shining as bright as it could be. Another way of putting it is that your engines aren’t firing on all cylinders.

How to Fight the Fading of the Light without Surgery

But there’s a safe and effective solution without opening the hood, without changing the bulb, so to speak. It’s widely available today, developed by Ancient Egyptian and Chinese cultures, then perfected in America today. Guess what it is.

We’ll wait…

Chiropractic care. Yes, it’s true that this age-old wisdom masters the best and most effective ways to harness the power the body and its contents. A simple adjustment can keep the nervous system free from these blockages that hold you back and affect how you see and approach the world. It’s fountain of youth technology.

What Causes Subluxation?

Great question! Subluxation is caused by spinal bones that move improperly or position in a way that disrupts nerve communications between the mind and body. It can cause a lot of problems in the body, even in the stomach.

Just like when there’s a kinked wire, your light bulb can go out from lack of power. Connected organs can suffer from the same thing. That’s why in some circles vertebral subluxation is called the silent killer.

Consult with Barton Chiropractic Clinic

To fight subluxation, contact Barton Chiropractic Clinic. We offer non-invasive, holistic treatment that will get your body up to par and your light shining brightly. Call Dr. Barton at (708) 922-1400 to schedule your initial consultation today.

People spend a lot of time thinking about the specialists and physicians they allow into their lives. There’s a good reason to put a lot of thought into something like that. For one, you’re inviting someone else to know information that is every bit your right to keep private. You’re also trusting one person to oversee your care in their chosen field.

How Should I Choose a Chiropractor Near Me?

Good question! You can find some great resources online to start. You want your chiropractor to have favorable Yelp ratings, though you want to take those also with a grain of salt. It’s the sad reality that a chiropractor often sees patients when they’re in pain and angry, and that can add a certain amount of color to their experience and their review.

Check out a practice’s social media page, too. It will definitely give you an idea of how they approach their work. Here’s ours.

Great qualities a worthy doctor of chiropractic will have include:

• Good communication skills.
• A nice facility with good ambience.
• High-level training and education.
• A cohesive staff who makes you feel welcome and cared for.
• Top notch research, specialists, and technology.

Barton Chiropractic Clinic of Homewood, Illinois

We offer pain relief with non-invasive techniques, taking a homeopathic approach to human wellness. We have great empathy for each and every patient who walks through our doors, and we serve patients of a wide age range, from all walks of life. Though we are knowledgeable, we continue our journey by learning everything we can about chiropractic care, from time-honored traditions to innovative new approaches.

If you’re in pain, we’ll help put you at ease. Barton Chiropractic Clinic has all of the great qualities mentioned above and more. We’ll get you back to active on your terms, without the aid of risky surgeries that come with more than a few pitfalls. Call (708) 922-1400 today to schedule your consultation.

Read on for what might be an unpopular opinion, but what also might be the difference between having a healthy back or a shoddy spine for St. Patrick’s Day.

St. Patrick’s Day is the day we all get to be a little bit Irish, right? Some of us might even plan a trip out to Ireland to visit The Blarney Stone (Irish: Cloch na Blarnan). This block of Carboniferous limestone was built into the battlements of Blarney Castle, which is about 8 kilometres (5 miles) away from Cork. Kiss the stone, gain the gift of gab, legend has it.

Bending Over Backwards

But did you know that you literally have to bend over backwards to kiss the Blarney Stone? If you’re not properly used to doing that sort of motion — many of us aren’t, as a matter of fact — you could risk back injury.

Make sure you give yourself a good stretch before performing your Blarney Stone kiss, if you must. Before you venture out to Ireland, engage in some yoga classes, which will increase your flexibility. Incorporate some cardio and core training to make sure you’re travel-ready. It’s a hike up there, and you have to complete the act by ascending the castle’s peak to get to the stone, then bend over backwards over a railing while someone assists you. Proceed with caution.

What if You Hurt Your Back During Your Travels?

That’s okay. A UNC School of Medicine study found that 80% of people will suffer a back injury during their lifetime. But it’s important you call Barton Chiropractic Clinic immediately. We have treatments and can provide adjustments that will have you back in tip-top shape. Call (708) 922-1400 to schedule your initial consultation today.

Having trouble believing that Spring has sprung? As we continue to advance in years, it seems like the seasons come and go with breakneck speed. It’s important that as time winds up and lurches forward that your spine isn’t in a knot — it can cause all sorts of problems for you as you engage in those springtime activities, like camping, kayaking, kite-flying, beach-going, mini golfing, and more.

Stuff You Can Do to Protect Your Spine

Even something like Spring cleaning requires you stretching and putting your body in unusual positions that you’re not used to, which can incite injury quite easily. All it takes is a sneeze or a jerk while you’re in the wrong position and your back is done for, putting you out of commission for weeks.

Stay conditioned and make sure you stretch on a regular basis. This will keep your body strong and flexible, ready to endure any sort of pressure you put on it.

Taking your time as you go through your seasonal chores will go a long way, too. Don’t try to jam everything into one Saturday, or a weekend. Budget your chores out over the entire month of March to ease into things. The same goes for your fitness routine. The idea is to build a reliable, consistent practice, not burn yourself out.

Hit the Links Softly, Unless You Golf Year Round

If you’re getting back into the swing of things, you might want to practice your golf swing beforehand. It’s also a good idea to schedule an adjustment with Barton Chiropractic Clinic. Take gentle swings at first. Maybe start with a 9-hole before you play two rounds in a day. Invest time into making sure that your swing is smooth and even, and that your swing rotates and shares the load between your shoulder, pelvis and your thoracolumbar segments.

Travel Smart, Travel Light

When you travel, it puts a lot of pressure on your back and spine, especially if you carry large, cumbersome bags along with you. If you’re on a flight for long periods of time, it might be a good idea to incorporate a stretch routine with some Yoga-style moves, focusing on your hips and your lower back in the process.

We hope some of these tips help you as the seasons change. We’re all about keeping our patients and readers active year-round. If your back, spine, hips, or legs are feeling anything less than 100%, chiropractic care is an avenue worth pursuing. Schedule your initial consultation with Dr. Barton today at (708) 922-1400.

Barton Chiropractic Clinic would like to remind our patients and readership that we also treat neck pain. We have some suggestions and ways that you can improve the way you move, the way you work, and the way you sustain and nourish your body that will go a long way towards spine health.

Stay Hydrated

We think about staying hydrated for the sake of our skin. Maintaining proper water levels helps maintain disc height and spinal alignment. This takes much needed pressure off of the spine. Drinking the proverbial 8 glasses daily or more will also prevent cervical disc degeneration, which also helps reduce neck pain over time.

Swim, Swim, Swim

Swimming is great because it’s low impact, but it also strengthens your muscles. We like it a lot because of its therapeutic effects for your back, neck, and spine. Reduce inflammation and ease neck stiffness by taking a dip 3 times a week or more. If you can use a heated pool, it’s ideal, because the heat makes your muscles and joints more pliable.

Don’t Just Think Back When it Comes to Your Work Chair

There are also neck-supporting chairs that do a good job of keeping neck pain at bay. A quality headrest will keep your cervical spine in a nice, neutral position.

Another fantastic move you can make in support of your neck would be to establish a relationship with a chiropractor near you. Barton Chiropractic Clinic specializes in ice therapy, heat therapy, spinal adjustments and more. We’re committed to ridding our patients of neck, back, and spine pain — that’s what we do. We’re here to get you active and healthy again. Call (708) 922-1400 to schedule your initial consultation.