It’s a proactive approach to your health by eating healthy food, getting regular exercise and ideally, seeing your chiropractor on a regular basis to keep you functioning at your optimal capacity.
Does that surprise you?
A wellness chiropractor can boost your immune system, reduce stress, and generally help you feel your best all the times. That may sound like a tall order but research shows that being proactive about your health can help you stay healthy rather than “fixing” it when your sick or in pain.
Wellness chiropractic care can also improve your nervous system which helps your body operate at its best.
How Your Nervous System Affects Your Health
Many people don’t think much about their nervous system. Yet, those 46 miles of nerves that run through the human body carry thousands of messages all day. From walking down the hall without thinking about it, to tasting the freshly ground black pepper on your pasta, the nervous system runs the whole show.
People who’ve lost their sense of smell or have paralyzed limbs have lost the nerve function in that part of their bodies.
The nervous system is like a giant internal “superhighway.” However, if there are blocks or traffic jams like a pinched nerve or disc, then you can feel pain.
The accumulation of everyday stress also disrupts your nerve function which may show up as high blood pressure, physical pain, or a low immune system.
Yet, a wellness chiropractor puts everything back in place with a few simple adjustments.
For many, that means you feel better, stand straighter, and even have internal improvements like enhanced blood flow which makes everything in your body work better.
That’s the benefit of a regular wellness visit. Because chiropractic care treats the cause, not the symptom.
How Chiropractic Care Affects Your Nervous System
It’s perfectly normal to experience partial dislocations in your body. This what which is what chiropractors call “subluxations.” These subluxations occur from severe impacts like a fall or from habits like bad posture or an accumulation of stress. They can be very painful, especially when they’re ignored for a long time.
In fact, virtually any back, neck, or shoulder pain is because of a spinal misalignment or “subluxation.”
However, chiropractic adjustments re-align your spinal column and help everything find its proper place again. That means, your nervous system can flow freely again, carrying its messages throughout your body helping you feel your best.
The difference between “wellness” care and crises care is the difference between taking care of yourself on a regular basis and only seeking healthcare when you’re sick or are experiencing pain.
If you’re in the Doylestown, Pa area, Dr. Jeff McQuaite is a successful wellness chiropractor. He works with people of all ages from infants to the elderly to help them feel their best.
One common cause of neck pain is as simple as what Dr. Jeff calls “text neck.” If that’s the case, the solution is simple, be aware of how much time you spend looking down at your phone or tablet and try to keep it eye level instead.
But there are plenty of other causes for neck pain too.
Things like whiplash, a slipped disc, or a pinched nerve are painful and relatively common. In rare instances, neck pain can indicate serious diseases like lymphoma.
In a minute, I’ll share more about these but first, let’s think about the structure of your neck so it makes sense WHY it’s so easy to strain it.
Vertebrae are the Building Blocks in Your Neck
As Medicine.net says, “ There are seven vertebrae that are the bony building blocks of the spine in the neck (the cervical vertebrae) that surround the spinal cord and canal. Between these vertebrae are discs, and nearby pass the nerves of the neck. Within the neck, structures include the skin, neck muscles, arteries, veins, lymph nodes, thyroid gland, parathyroid glands, esophagus, larynx, and trachea. Diseases or conditions that affect any of these tissues of the neck can lead to neck pain.”
In other words, your neck is strong, yet delicate.
There’s a lot going on with it.
And, your head is heavy.
In fact, did you know that your head weighs an average of 8 pounds? It’s true. It’s no wonder that looking down at a device for extended periods will create neck strain!
Beyond that though, let’s look at some of the other common causes of neck pain.
These are 4 Common Reasons for Neck Pain
Poor Posture – Slumping causes your head to jut forward which puts pressure on your cervical spine (the vertebrae in the neck.) Do this for hours on end, like when you hunch over a computer, and you can see why your neck would hurt.
Poor posture can also create hyperextension because your vertebrae strain too far (for too long) and it creates pain in your upper back.
Spine-health reminds us that “Good posture, as it relates to the neck, is commonly considered when the ears are positioned directly above the shoulders with the chest open and shoulders back. In this neutral position, also called normal head posture, stress on the neck is minimized because the head’s weight is naturally balanced on the cervical spine.”
This is why hours hunched over a computer screen leaves your shoulders and neck tight.
Whiplash – If you’ve been in a car accident, you may have experienced whiplash. The impact of hitting another car (or being hit) is jarring to the body, even if it’s a fender bender.
Whiplash is what we call a sudden impact of your head moving back and forth.
You may feel fine right away, but a few days later, you may feel achy. If you’ve been in an accident, it’s a good idea to have chiropractic treatment as soon as you can to alleviate any potential. It often doesn’t happen right away but a few days after the fact, you may feel achy. If you’ve been in an accident, it’s a good idea to have chiropractic treatment as soon as you can to alleviate any potential problems.
Pinched Nerve Neck Pain – You probably know the expression, “You’re getting on my nerves.” In a way, this comes with some truth to it. While people can’t get on your nerves – not literally – ligaments can and that’s a problem. So can bones and tendons.
With 95 million nerve cells and miles of nerve “traffic” cruising around your body it’s not surprising that ligaments, tendons, or even bones can shift position. This happens when you sit for long periods, when you’re sleeping or if there’s an accident like you fall down a flight of steps. When these get “off track” they put pressure on a nerve and cause you pain.
Degenerative Disc Disease – You’re probably aware that you have discs in your back.
As the doctors at Cedar-Sinai tells us “The discs are like shock absorbers between the bones of the spine and are designed to help the back remain flexible while resisting terrific forces in many different planes of motion.
Each disc has two parts:
1- A firm, tough outer layer, called the anulus fibrosus. The outer portion of this layer contains nerves. If the disc tears in this area, it can become quite painful.
2- A soft, jellylike core, the nucleus pulposus.
This part of the disc contains proteins that can cause the tissues they touch to become swollen and tender. If these proteins leak out to the nerves of the outer layer of the disc, they can cause a great deal of pain.”
These are just four common causes for neck pain. Each of them can be helped with massage therapy and regular chiropractic treatments. Are you ready to book yours? We’re located in Doylestown, on Logan Street across from Central Bucks East High School.
If you suffer from sciatica, you may wonder if chiropractic therapy can help you find relief. After all, chiropractors can help relieve all types of body aches, why not sciatic pain?
Sciatica, as you may know, starts in your low back and shoots into one or both of your legs. However, the pain isn’t the same for everyone.
Some people with sciatica feel sharp, debilitating pain while for others, it can be more moderate. No matter how it occurs for you, you’ll want to relieve the pain.
In this post, you’ll discover that sciatica is actually a symptom of an underlying problem and how chiropractic therapy can help your sciatica pain.
What Is the Sciatic Nerve?
If you suffer from sciatica pain, you probably know about the sciatic nerve. This is the longest nerve in the body. It starts in the lower back, splits, and runs down each leg into the foot. Its function is to continue the spinal connection from the back into the legs and feet.
If you have a sciatic disorder – causing you pain – it can be because of misaligned vertebrae, herniated discs, pregnancy or even health problems like diabetes.
What Causes Sciatica?
Many people think sciatica is the problem when it’s actually a symptom. In truth, sciatica is nerve compression.
What causes nerve compression you ask? Good question.
Often, it’s caused by a jarring to the body. Have you slipped and fallen? If so, that causes trauma to your body. But also, arthritis in your hip can cause sciatic pain. If you’re experiencing spasms or numbness in your leg/foot, that may be a symptom of sciatica.
How Can Chiropractic Therapy Improve Sciatica?
Chiropractic treatment for sciatica is a way to help your body heal itself.
In addition to a chiropractic adjustment, your chiropractor may recommend ice/heat therapy, ultrasound, and TENS therapy. The classic ice packs combined with heat reduces inflammation and pain and you can do this at home while watching Netflix.
Ultrasound therapy uses a machine to create heat and sound waves throughout your body. It stimulates circulation and reduces swelling while the TENS unit sends electricity through your body. It also stimulates circulation and provides pain relief.
Before chiropractic therapy can help your sciatica, it’s essential to make sure to have a proper diagnosis. Here at McQuaite Chiropractic, we review your medical history and take an x-ray before we create a treatment plan.
How Fast Does it Work?
Many people find immediate relief after a chiropractic adjustment. The quick hands-on manipulation of the spine takes the pressure off the sciatic nerve so you find relief.
Of course, it takes more than one chiropractic treatment for long-term healing. Your chiropractic will work out a customized treatment plan that’s right for your situation.
Do you want to find out if chiropractic treatment is right for your sciatica? We offer free consultations at our Doylestown office.
Let me guess, you’ve done your shopping and you’ve got a stack of holiday gifts to wrap. Congrats! Now comes the fun part, wrapping them.
You may love this part or you may dread it.
Either way, if you’ve ever plopped yourself on the floor to wrap, you know that it doesn’t take long before your back starts aching. Avoid back pain while wrapping holiday gifts by being smart about your wrapping station.
Here are some simple tips to help reduce “gift wrap fatigue” so you have a happier holiday season.
If your first choice is to drop on the floor and spread all the wrapping paper around you, you’re not the first. But know that it’s not going to help you feel your best. Floor sitting doesn’t create great posture and good posture will help your body feel better.
By the way, the bed isn’t any better.
Instead, choose a table with a matching chair for the height. Your kitchen or dining room table should do the trick. This will reduce your back and neck strain so you’ll feel better.
If you choose to create a gift-wrapping station where you stand, wear supportive shoes while you do. Standing barefoot or in flip-flops will not help and it won’t be long before you’re feeling achy.
Break it Up
Marathon gift wrapping sessions may seem efficient but can leave you exhausted. Instead, you’ll minimize the strain on your back, neck, and arms if you break them up. Maybe wrap the gifts as you buy them, or have a few mini-wrapping sessions. Your body will thank you.
My favorite gift-wrapping solution is using gift bags. They’re easy and always look good. Plus, you don’t have to fuss with uneven bits of paper and losing the scissors or tape.
Stretch Your Body
Gift-wrapping may not seem like a workout but you are using different parts of your body in ways that are not typical for you. It will help if you do a few simple stretches before and after. If you’re drawn to yoga, you might want to wrap gifts after you have a short yoga session when your muscles are warmed up.
Enlist the Help of Others
If you’ve got family members who can help, let them. You don’t win any points by doing it all yourself, plus, it helps them feel involved.
Yes, Visit Your Chiropractor
At McQuaite Chiropractic in Doylestown, Pa, we’ve seen back injuries from lifting/moving Christmas trees, slip and falls on icy sidewalks, and yes, back and neck pain for marathon gift wrapping sessions.
We’ll help you feel your best. Not only can chiropractic care readjust your spine and improve your posture but it can also release tension and boost your immune system. Give yourself a break and schedule an appointment with us.
You’re probably familiar with the concept of chiropractors.
Most people associate them with “cracking backs” for pain relief and while there is a kernel of truth to this idea, there’s a lot more to it. In fact, you might be surprised at what that so-called “cracking” actually is!
(Hint: it’s not bones cracking.)
But first, what IS a chiropractic treatment?
It’s an all-natural approach to pain relief and suitable for all ages. While some use the term “chiropractic medicine,” chiropractors tend to refer to their practice as “treatments” or as a type of therapy like massage or physical therapy.
Where Does the Term “Chiropractor” Come From?
Like many words in the English language, Greece is the source of this one.
As Medical News Today tells us, The word chiropractic comes from the Greek words cheir (hands) and praxis (practice). As the name suggests, it is a hands-on therapy.
Chiropractic manipulation is the application of pressure to a person’s spine or other parts of their body by a qualified chiropractic doctor or chiropractor. This pressure allows a chiropractor to adjust and correct alignment.”
If you’ve ever been to a chiropractor, you know they use spinal manipulation adjustment your spine (and maybe your wrist or shoulder!) But you may still wonder if it falls into the category of medicine and the answer is…
Is it Medicine?
Yes. Although it’s considered complementary, or natural “medicine.” Chiropractors are doctors – they attend medical school and have licenses – but they can’t issue prescriptions or perform surgery.
Instead, chiropractors focus on your symptoms and seek to help your body heal itself through natural means. A typical treatment includes a few questions about how you’re feeling and a series of “adjustments.” That “cracking” or “popping” sound that many people associate with chiropractors? That’s actually trapped air being released from your joints and it’s nothing to worry about.
Chiropractic treatments are definitely a form of healthcare and are proof that medicine doesn’t have to come from a pill. Most chiropractors will also recommend other therapies such as heat/cold therapy, electrical stimulation, massage, and maybe even dietary supplements in addition to chiropractic treatments.
Your chiropractor will work with you to create a customized treatment plan.
The purpose of chiropractic care is to help people find pain relief through re-aligning their bodies, and it’s not uncommon to feel immediate relief. One of my favorite stories is about a patient who’d wrenched his back and hobbled into the office. 20 minutes later, he was standing up straight and no longer in pain.
However, chiropractic care does work best over time rather than a one-time scenario. Most patients come on a regular basis and they feel the benefits of ongoing care. I have patients who come a few times a week to a once or twice a month. It all depends on your symptoms and health goals.
Chiropractic medicine goes far beyond back pain relief, it’s also beneficial for chronic headaches, carpal tunnel, and even boosts your immune system! If you’re in the Doylestown, PA area, please stop in for your free consultation.
If you’re like one of the millions of people who suffer from low back pain, you want to feel better. You’ve tried massage, you’ve tried pills, you might even be considering back surgery.
But before you go that route, you decide to try chiropractic treatment for low back pain. After all, at least 22 million Americans use chiropractic treatment for pain relief across the country and thousands use it here in Bucks County.
How Chiropractic Care Works
As you may know, chiropractors use spinal manipulation to help your body heal itself. According to WebMD.com, “Manipulation is used to restore mobility to joints restricted by tissue injury caused by a traumatic event, such as falling, or repetitive stress, such as sitting without proper back support.”
Essentially, your chiropractor re-aligns the 30+ bones, ligaments, tendons and tissues in your body so they’re in their rightful place. When you’re feeling pain, it can be from a herniated disc — which is a spinal disc that’s out of place and pressing on a nerve.
Or, it could be a host of other things, the only way to know is with an evaluation. The evaluation will dictate your treatment plan.
There is No “One Size Fits All” Chiropractic Treatment
Everyone has individual needs depending on their medical history and the initial evaluation. That’s why I take an x-ray to better evaluate what’s going on inside. For example, low back pain can be caused by any number of things – from poor posture to a car accident to raking leaves.
Based on your x-ray, symptoms, and medical history, I’ll make a customized treatment plan to help your body heal.
For some people, they may benefit from two to three chiropractic visits/month while others will see the most benefit in two to three visits per week to start. I’ve even had patients where they came daily for two-four visits accelerate the healing process.
The reason you need multiple chiropractic adjustments over a short period of time – especially at the beginning of your treatment plan is that you’ll find the best results over multiple treatments.
You don’t expect to see immediate results after one trip to the gym. One chiropractic treatment can give you immediate relief, but ultimately, the best results build on one another just as it takes consistent trips to the gym to see the best results.
The Benefits of Multiple Chiropractic Treatments for Low Back Pain
Many of those people have never visited a chiropractor before.
When you work with chiropractic medicine, our intent is to get to the source of the problem rather than cover it up with pain pills. In addition to multiple chiropractic treatments for low back pain, I usually recommend other modalities too. Heat or cold therapy, massage, and electrical muscle stimulation can all relieve pain.
As you can see, there are many factors that can affect your chiropractic treatment. There’s no magic formula. We’ll assess your condition and go from there. At our Doylestown office, we do take most insurance and offer a free consultation.
Fall leaves are pretty but they can be a pain to clean up. Which means many Doylestown area residents will spend time raking leaves this weekend (and over the next few weeks.)
Fall yard work like leaf raking is great exercise and it’s nice to enjoy the crisp air of the season, yet, it can also lead to back pain and injury. After all, raking uses different muscles than you’re probably used to using. Worse, thousands of people wrench their back doing every fall because of yard work.
4 Ways You Can Protect Your Back While Raking Leaves
In Bucks County, like much of the country, leaf raking is a seasonal chore that can leave you sore and achy. Worse, it can cause back pain and injury if you aren’t careful.
In fact, according to Penn Medicine, approximately 76,000 Americans are hurt every year from leaf raking and other yard work. As you probably know, it only takes one misstep to hurt yourself and weekend yard work warriors are most at risk.
Here’s how you can protect yourself.
1- Warm up and Cool Down – Simple stretches may not seem like they do a lot but they are useful.
Side stretches, trunk rotations, and bending to the ground to touch your toes (or your version of touching your toes – it’s ok if you don’t get all the way down) will help prepare your muscles.
2- Batch It – It’s better for your body if you do a little a time rather than do it all at once.
If you can get out a few times a week and rake the leaves in 20-30-minute intervals you’re doing your body good and less likely to overexert yourself. If you do choose to do marathon sessions, take breaks and you feel short of breath or a tightness in your chest, take a rest and let your heart rate slow down.
3-Use Good Form – Use your whole body and not just your upper body while raking. This will reduce the pain in your shoulders, neck, and back.
Also, rake towards you rather than away from you as that helps protect your back muscles. Remember to bend your knees when you pick up things and finally, don’t overfill leaf bags until they’re so heavy you can hardly move them.
4- Wear Supportive Shoes – You’ve heard it before but it’s true, supportive footwear can help you maintain your balance and give your back support. Hiking boots or good sneakers will help keep your feet stable — less chance for a slip and fall!
With a little preparation, raking leaves and other yard work can be a great chance for some fresh air and a dose of healthy (and injury-free) exercise. Then you can feel great, have a leaf-free yard and still be able to enjoy the fall activities in Bucks County!
However, if you do hurt yourself, you know where to find us!
Here in Bucks County, Pa. it seems like the winter predictions for a cold and snowy one are coming true.
“Bomb-cyclones,” blizzards, or just plain old snow has most of us shoveling snow and trying to maintain balance on icy sidewalks.
Not only is it cold, but winter activities like snow shoveling can put a strain on the body. Every year, we see patients who’ve “thrown their back out” due to snow shoveling or a slip n’ fall.
It’s not surprising really, snow shoveling can be difficult and unseen ice is hazardous. One way you can protect your back from such winter hazards is to take precautions. Alternatively, leave the snow removal down to the professionals.
Protect Your Back from Winter Injuries
1—Warm Up
Chances are, you’ve heard this before, but you don’t probably don’t do it. The fact is, shoveling snow is cardio.
If it’s a heavy snow, it’s dense and wet and it won’t take long before you’re drenched in sweat and your heart is thumping.
Pay attention to your body, take breaks as you need to and do some stretching before you start. One stretch that’s useful to do both before and after shoveling is to hold the shovel in both hands and lift it over your head. Then, do a few gentle twists to the right and the left. This will help loosen your back and help prevent strained muscles.
2—Shovel in Increments
There’s a reason seasoned Northerner’s shovel snow throughout the storm rather than letting it build up. It’s far easier to shovel 1-2 inches than a foot and this is especially true if it’s the wet stuff.
Bundle up and go out there before too much has fallen. Try to use the push technique, rather than lifting. Simply push the snow to the side rather than lifting it.
3—Use Your Legs to Lift
When the snow piles up and you have no choice but to lift it, remember to bend your knees and use your legs. Too many people hurt their backs by not doing do this but you don’t have to be one of them.
If you’d like more information on ergonomic shovels and techniques for snow removal, take a look at this post from spine-health.com
4—Use Salt, Sand, or Kitty Litter for Traction
You know that outdoor sidewalks, steps, and porches can be icy. Be sure to prime them with salt, sand, or kitty litter for traction prior to the snow falling and during. If you have areas that tend to stay icy longer than others because they’re in the shade, use ice melting products and if you can, avoid the area until it’s melted.
5—Heat Therapy
After you’ve shoveled, try relaxing in an Epsom salt bath and/or use a heating pad on your lower back to soothe it.
If you DO have an emergency, call the office at 267-247-7000. We accept walk-ins and (crawl-ins) and will get you back on your feet as soon as possible.
With the opioid crisis threatening millions of lives, you may wonder about alternative pain relief. While drugs like can definitely help, certain drugs may have longer term side effects that can have a detrimental effect.
The fact is, legal painkillers like oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, morphine, fentanyl may be ok in small doses but when prescribed for chronic pain, far too many people are becoming dependent on them.
“Of the 20.5 million Americans 12 or older that had a substance use disorder in 2015, 2 million had a substance use disorder involving prescription pain relievers and 591,000 had a substance use disorder involving heroin.”
It’s clear that people need additional options for treatment. Preferably natural solutions like acupuncture, chiropractic care, and massage therapy.”
For many of us in the Doylestown area, we associate opioid crisis with the tragic heroin problem. Those are heartbreaking stories.
However, as you can see from the above report if 2 million people have a problem with prescription pain relievers, that can also cause heartbreak.
We think it’s time to reevaluate our options.
In fact, the Center for Disease Control “reports, “Deaths from prescription opioids — drugs like oxycodone, hydrocodone and methadone — have more than quadrupled since 1999,” rising right along with the numbers of prescriptions. 2
The problem with opioids is that many people start taking them for mild to moderate pain, only to develop a tolerance, which means you need to take more to get the same relief. If people are taking more opioid to feel the full effects, then that means they have become addicted. This would not happen if the current rate of opioid sales in your state is low. It’s important to control your pain, but not to the extent that you start to become addicted. Seek help if you think you are experiencing something similar. Physical dependence can also develop, leading to symptoms of withdrawal if you try to cut back or quit the drugs cold turkey. ” (Source: Mercola). When you read something like this, it comes as no surprise that mtd drug tests are being put into place, in order to detect the drug takers, but to also get them help to come off it effectively.
Fortunately, the traditional medical establishment is starting to recognize the limitations of conventional thinking. Over the years, lobbying chiropractic groups have gotten the attention of Congress.
As a result, Medicaid has extended coverage to chiropractic care in some states and the Food and Drug Administration has issued a statement that healthcare providers should broaden their approach to pain relief.
From a recent FDA report, “Healthcare providers “should be knowledgeable about the range of available therapies, when they may be helpful, and when they should be used as part of a multidisciplinary approach to pain management.”
We think this makes sense. After all, why not use multiple approaches? For example, if you have a painful accident, prescription drugs can relieve the acute pain and may be the best choice for a limited time.
However, if you’re suffering from chronic pain, natural pain relief like massage therapy, chiropractic care, and acupuncture can provide pain relief now while finding a long-term solution to your pain.
