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Massage is a powerful tool in your wellness arsenal

Even with untrained hands, the hands-on nature of massage has a powerful calming effect. Simply feeling comfortable while being rubbed by another releases endorphins, the brain’s powerful painkilling chemicals which further provide a euphoric effect. Simply rubbing will increase systemic circulation, stimulating the flow of nutrients and oxygen throughout the body. The benefit is clear to see; now imagine the rubbing was by trained hands and specifically targeted to your particular points of pain: massage becomes therapy. At Family Chiropractic & Spinal Health Care Center, we have a trained and certified massage therapist on staff who uses massage to influence powerful changes in your wellbeing. 

Massage as therapy 

At our office, we believe that combining natural modalities gives people the best chance of overcoming back pain. This multi-dimensional approach includes spinal adjustment, decompression, trigger point release and massage. Massage’s role in our treatment program includes:

• Releasing tension from the musculature, especially the soft tissues that surround and support the spine
• Alleviating spinal pressure by providing a gentle decompressive effect between the vertebrae
• Increasing circulation and lymph flow to help your cells repair quicker
• Boosting flexibility in support of a fuller range of motion and less chance for injury
• Helping you find more natural energy

Massage therapy for our Ridgewood, NJ community

We believe that everyone in Ridgewood, NJ deserves a massage, especially by our trained hands! If you are interested in finding out more about the role of massage in natural wellness, give our office a call to schedule an appointment today. Our massage staff is standing by to help you target particular points of pain, release tension and feel your best today! 

The best way to mobilize your spine is to relax!

If the tension in your spine has become palpable as of late, it’s time to pay attention. What is most likely happening is not a pretty picture: short, weak muscles; compressed intervertebral discs and stiff spinal joints; consistently poor posture and, to top it all off, back pain. The answer to all this dysfunction is to mobilize your spine, and this week we are highlighting the simplest, yet most profound, exercise you can do to promote spinal mobility. 

It starts by relaxing

Lay down on a yoga mat or carpeted floor and relax by taking deep breaths to encourage enhanced oxygenation. Now imagine that someone or something is pulling your head and feet in opposite directions and let your body stretch and elongate; this encourages spinal elongation and decompression. Do this off and on for 90 seconds. Next tuck your knees up toward your chest and wrap your arms around your legs. In this balled up position, rock gently up and down, increasing the momentum until every part of your back touches the ground during the course of the motion except for your neck. Do this for about 2 minutes. 

Spinal elongation and relaxation support spinal mobility

This stretch is invaluable for people looking to increase their spinal health on a daily basis. The elongation provides a decompression effect which is therapeutic to body and mind. This stretch is part of a holistic approach to back care that defines everything we do at Family Chiropractor NJ. If you are interested in finding out more, give our office a call to schedule an appointment today. 

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness

DOMS, as it is affectionately known, is important to keep an eye on. While it can be a normal indicator of a good workout, it can also be an alarm bell for muscle damage. Depending on the severity of the muscle soreness you feel after your exercise, you may need to take more action than just rest and ice. The truth is that muscle building relies on creating micro-tears in the muscles that are then repaired during the resting phase by a natural bodily process. But when pain proceeds past the point of soreness and aching and into the realm of inflammation, weakness and tingling, you need to take note. This blog is designed to help you figure out when you need to worry. 

What to do about DOMS

The more extreme end of DOMS, when muscles become inflamed, painful, weak and swollen is something most athletes want to avoid. That is because it takes the longest time to heal which translates to more time out of the gym or off the playing field. In the most extreme cases, you can even cause permanent muscle damage. So the first step to preventing DOMS is to start gradually and scale up with your exercises; in other words, don’t damage them so acutely in the first place. Warm-ups, which get your muscles in a conducive state to exercise, should never be skipped. 

However, if you are suffering from abnormal muscle pain after an exercise, be sure to take action. Here are signs that your muscle pain is abnormal:

• Pain that scales up 
• Pain that persists 
• Pain on one side
• Weakness, numbness, tingling

If your muscle pain feels abnormal or does not go away, be sure to give our office a call to schedule an appointment. We are experts in diagnosing and treating muscle dysfunction and injury. We can help you determine how it occurred and the extent to which it is damaged and set a course for treatment that includes soft tissue therapy, restorative exercise and stretching. 

When your pregnancy presses on your sciatic nerve

The results can be disastrous. You already have enough anxiety to deal with as the due date approaches; to add severe back pain into the mix can push you to a breaking point. But this is exactly what happens to so many women, because pregnancy creates the perfect mix of circumstances for sciatica. Take the growing weight of the fetus, add a shifting center of gravity, then increase pregnancy hormones that loosen ligaments in the pelvis, then add an accentuated arch in the back and pressure on the facet joints, and voila, you have sciatica. Fortunately, chiropractic specializes in treating these exact pre-conditions to help alleviate nerve impingement and help you feel better. 

Chiropractic for sciatica during pregnancy

Our goal is to stabilize the pelvis and restore alignment throughout the spine. This requires specific spinal adjustments that restore the alignment of the spine and increase function in the facet joints; this in itself is often enough to alleviate nerve impingement. From here, we focus on balancing the pelvis to prevent misalignment from recurring, and to increase stability at the base of the spine. Finally, we introduce gentle stretching and strengthening movements to increase the natural support system for your lower spine. We also employ modalities such as massage and soft tissue therapy to help increase circulation where it matters most. If you are interested in finding out about how chiropractic can benefit your pregnancy, give our office a call to schedule an appointment today. 

We all know that Thanksgiving tends to be associated with mass amounts of comfort food, however, there are still options you can prepare that are more health-forward than the traditional mashed potatoes and gravy, apple pie, not to mention ham and turkey. Of course, we’d never knock these foods, but there are options that will provide you with more vitamins and minerals than the junk food options will.

Below, Family Chiropractic & Spinal Health Care Center goes over a few healthy dishes you can prepare for Thanksgiving, even if you’re going to be having a socially distant holiday this year.

First, prepare plenty of veggie dishes to go with the clean whole protein you plan on preparing. Have a salad option or two and make sure to include healthy greens like spinach, kale, and other vitamin and mineral-dense leafy greens.

Next, yams and sweet potatoes are a great option, but, in lieu of the brown sugar and marshmallows, top your sweet potatoes with almonds and granola to give it a healthy kick.

Having more than one entree is a good idea, too, and it’s always considerate to provide a plant-based option for those who do not eat meat.

At Family Chiropractic & Spinal Health Care Center our treatments are design to optimize our patient’s lives on a daily basis. Combine our treatments with a healthy diet and exercise and you won’t go wrong. Contact us today to learn more about who we are, what we do, and how we play a vital role in keeping our community happy and healthy.

MMA is starting to becoming an increasingly popular sport on a global scale. One can take a look at the champions from all of the weight classes and truly see representatives from all over the world.

One thing most professional MMA fighters agree upon is the necessity of a good chiropractor to perform the important body work that needs to be done in order to properly recover from the immense wear and tear that the MMA life will certainly put on you.

Below, Family Chiropractic & Spinal Health Care Center goes over a few ways that chiro comes in the clutch for those practicing any form of martial art or combat sport.

Drug-Free Pain Relief

Chiro is widely popular among professional fighters due to the fact that most organizations have rigorous drug testing policies. Chiro gets the job done without prescription drug intervention, helping the spine, neck, legs, and joints feel better.

Improved Sleep

Rest is an important aspect of a fighter’s training, and chiropractic adjustments have been shown to promote a better night of sleep due to the fact that adjustments ease tension, pain, and provide the body with proper relaxation.

Increased Flexibility and Range of Motion

Chiropractic adjustments realign the body and helps reduce tension in the body and in the joints, which will increase flexibility and range of motion. Flexibility is important for martial artists, especially in the hips.

Many forms of martial arts put tons of strain on the back, neck, and spine. Contact Family Chiropractic & Spinal Health Care Center to learn more about how are treatments can make you more effective at your craft and have you feeling healthier on a daily basis, no matter what happens in the ring or on the mat.

November might seem like a month where there are going to be more than a few obstacles for your health and wellness routine.

Thanksgiving Wellness Obstacles

First of all, Thanksgiving will usually entail making plans, or, at the very least, planning an extensive meal for the family, relatives, and possibly friends. These foods are usually not the most nutritionally sound. During Thanksgiving, we tend to eat comfort foods, and in large amounts.

Some of us might also be picking up extra hours in an effort to make the holiday season extra magical for those who we care about.

Couple these aspects of November mentioned above with the creeping in of the cold air and it might seem like it’s going to be really hard to stay healthy and active this month.

Tips for a Healthy November

Instead, make it a point to eat healthy foods and even prepare healthier foods for your Thanksgiving Fare. For instance, prepare some Fall friendly veggies and make extensive salads that incorporate healthy greens, carrots, sprouts, avocado, cucumber, celery, and other healthy ingredients geared toward fueling you throughout the day.

Quickly you will find that clean, whole foods will bog you down considerably less than carb-ridden, processed sugar-dense comfort foods.

Getting outdoors may be a challenge, especially in those early morning hours that are now freezing cold. Invest in some outerwear that will make your exercise routine a little more comfortable in the cold weather. It’s still worth it to bring your workouts outdoors when you can. If you can’t, at home is still a fantastic place to build a workout regiment.

Lastly, make sure you double-down on your mindfulness exercises. Meditation, yoga, and even taking a moment to take a few deep breaths can do wonders for your mental health. We know the holiday season can be stressful, but you got this!

Chiropractic in November

November is also a great month to explore chiropractic treatment. Chiropractic adjustments have been shown to reduce stress and anxiety, provide drug-free pain relief, and more. Contact Family Chiropractic & Spinal Health Care Center today to schedule your consultation.

While whether or not your city is holding Halloween this year might still be a maybe, chances are there’s a significant amount of candy being passed around your household as we speak.

This October, we thought it would be a good idea over here at Family Chiropractic & Spinal Health Care Center to remind everyone (and even ourselves) to put our candy and processed sugar consumption in check.

First, opt for naturally sweet treats — dried mango, pineapple, banana, and papaya are all solid options. Create your own little trail mix for yourself and maybe throw in some walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, etc. for a health boost.

Second, double down on clean eating — keep clean whole food in your refrigerator, for instance.

If you must do chocolate, opt for dark chocolate, which is a powerful source of antioxidants and may even have a hand in reducing heart disease. Who’d have thunk it!

If you’re participating in Halloween or doing some sort of socially-distant alternative, try to opt out of supplying others with sugary candy that will damage the teeth and the health of those who avidly eat it.

Pass out healthy snacks this Halloween — maybe some of that trail mix we mentioned earlier.

Contact Family Chiropractic & Spinal Health Care Center today to learn about how our treatments go hand-in-hand with a healthy lifestyle. After all, chiro isn’t simply for those who experience an injury. We’re here to help optimize your health!

When we’re thinking of our overall health very seldom do we make the connection to our spine, when, in fact, spine health has an immense impact on our overall health.

There are nerves that connect your internal organs to your spine. These nerves and channels have to remain free of interference in order to function correctly.

As tension builds up in the body, your spine can end up shifting out of alignment, putting a tremendous amount of stress and tension on the body’s nervous system. This is called a subluxation.

A subluxation can be thought of in the same way as a blown fuse — it can disrupt an entire system.

This month, since stress seems to be on the rise, it’s a good idea to do a few things to enhance your spine health.

First, exercising and targeting your core muscle groups will help to build the muscles that surround your spine, which provide shock absorption.

Stretching your spine is also hugely important. Take a yoga class with a good instructor and it will pay off in dividends.

Another great way to improve your spine health is to focus on your posture and to try to limit the amount of time you spend sitting each day. Investing in a standing elevating desk converter will help you mix up your work day.

Lastly, chiropractic treatment is a great way to fortify your spine and give it the tension release and drug-free pain relief it needs to help you function at 100% for the long haul. Contact Family Chiropractic & Spinal Health Care Center today to learn more about how our treatments help entire families stay healthy and happy!

Nobody knew what they were in for at the first of this year, but it’s likely that a vast majority of people have felt the mental and physical strain that pandemic times can bring.

Many of us have lost family members or have family members in critical condition. Many of us have family members we’re still unable to see.

On top of that, we have an election year on our hands, one the likes of which it’s pretty safe to say we’ve never seen before.

It really doesn’t matter which side of the fence you stand on, or if you stand on the fence, for that matter — it’s probably a stressful time for you.

In fact, at Family Chiropractic & Spinal Health Care Center we thought it would be a good idea to stress mental health and wellness in October.

First, establish a meditation routine if you don’t have one already. Take 10 minutes out of each day and try to think of absolutely nothing. If this helps, try to picture your mind as if it were a snow globe. All you’re doing is letting the little flakes settle in your brain.

You’ll be surprised how quickly you start to notice a difference as you become aware of your mental landscape. Meditation is a way of cleaning your yard, so to speak. You’ll be rightly aware of anyone or anything dragging crud out on your lawn.

Next, try to build a yoga routine. Your mental stress can manifest itself inside of your body, believe it or not. Taking a yoga class will hold you accountable for showing up and getting it done. Three days a week of yoga will help you build new strength and get rid of old tension in your body.

Eating well and hydrating are both of paramount importance as well. Have you ever heard that expression “You are what you eat?” It’s quite true. Your mental wellness has a lot to do with the type of nourishment you take into your body.

Chiropractic treatment is another great way to recover your body, realign your spine, your body, and your mind. Our treatments have been shown to improve mood, reduce depression, help promote a more restful night of sleep, not to mention provide drug-free pain relief. Contact Family Chiropractic & Spinal Health Care Center today to schedule your consultation and please stay healthy and safe out there!