Chiropractic Tips Archives - Advanced Chiropractic of South Carolina

Oct 24 2021

Yoga Beginners Hang Tough

Maybe it’s your first time in a yoga class, or maybe even your tenth and you’re beginning to think that this is not the exercise for you.
I get it. I was introduced to yoga in high school and while I was able to do the head and shoulder stands, I didn’t learn the mind-body connection until some time later.
Most people who encounter yoga as a young person are in it only for the movement, the exercise, for the “burn” of the exertion of the muscles. They, too, don’t get the mind-body connection.
I’ll be the first to agree that yoga isn’t for everyone, but for anyone who is breathing, they CAN do yoga. So before you quit going to yoga, here are a few things to consider:
1. You might be in the wrong place. Could be the class. Could be the instructor. Could be the type of yoga. When I returned to yoga many years after my high-school headstand triumph, I brought with me a very different body. And I found myself next to a group of lithe young bodies virtually trembling with the effort to remain quiet until the class started. And once it did, they leaped into action. I became so confused watching the instructor, watching them that I very quickly decided that I didn’t want to come to another yoga class as long as I lived. Fortunately, I was persuaded to try one more class, different teacher, different yoga style. And I fell in love.
2. Yoga is a very personal practice. My mistake in the class of young people was that I was trying to keep up with everyone around me. Yoga is not designed for that. Yoga is a very personal practice, and one to be done without judgment. Unfortunately, I was attending a class in a fitness center. The class had over 60 people in it. There was no way the instructor could possibly provide personal attention to someone who had a previous back injury and bad knees. All poses have modifications and a good yoga instructor knows them and will help you. Once I stopped competing with anyone, including myself, my yoga practice became much more effective.
3. Listen to your body. Today I have a twisted knee. I can tell that Monday’s yoga session is going to be different from the one last week because my knee is swollen, tender, and unpredictable. It’s not so bad that I can’t do some of the other poses, but anything that puts pressure on that knee, I’m not going to do. I’ve found a fabulous yoga studio, and I’m getting to know most of the instructors. They are fabulous and when they ask, “Is there anything I should know?” Speak up! They’re asking so that they can be of service to you. I tell them that my knee hurts and they pay attention to me and tell me when something might not work for me today. When it hurts, don’t do it. It’s really that simple.
Yoga is a persona practice. Some days you will want to exert yourself more than others. Other days you will want to focus more on the mind aspect of yoga than the body aspect. Both are right. Go to yoga for yourself. Never for anyone else.

Yoga Tabby Cat by Circe Denyer

Oct 24 2021

What’s Better than Coffee in the Morning?

Most of us know people who can’t function first thing in the morning until they have had their first cup or three of java. Without caffeine, they don’t talk. They don’t smile. They simply don’t function.
But is coffee always the answer? There was a time I battled a stomach ulcer and caffeine was the first thing the doctor put on my list of things I could no longer have. This was difficult for me. Not only did I drink nearly a pot of coffee in the morning, but I drank several Cokes throughout the rest of the day and into the evening.
Getting off caffeine was a habit I didn’t look forward to breaking.
But in order to heal my body, I had to do the right things for it. Obviously I had been doing a lot of things wrong, like working long hours, including weekends. I used caffeine to keep me focused rather than proper rest, food, and exercise. My stomach pain took me to the doctor, but the news changed the rest of my life.
I always believed that I was a healthy person, but that most of the healthier things in life I could do “later” in life. But a stomach ulcer at the age of 24 told me that later might be too late. I had to start them now. Here are some of the changes I made to my life that allowed me to be healthy, happy, rested enough to wake fully in the morning without resorting to a cup of coffee.
Every morning before I opened my eyes, I thought about what I wanted for the day. Not what I wanted to accomplish, but rather an intention. Rather than listing my “to-do” list, I thought about what I wanted to feel by the end of the day. My intention might be something like: “To easily manage the conflict at today’s office meeting without getting emotionally involved.”
By setting intentions, I was working to change how I lived my life and how I interacted with people. I used to revolve around reacting to my life rather than actively trying to live my life. I learned to be grateful for the small successes in my life and for the people in it rather than focusing on the long-term goals that kept changing as I learned to define what I wanted out of life.
It’s good to have goals, but focusing only on the future without being grateful for what I had in the present was killing me. In a very literal sense. My stomach had been my warning sign. I had been focusing on a lot of the wrong things in my life and none of the right things.
In addition I learned to move my body appropriately, eat well, and make sure I hydrated well.
Our bodies are intended to work well. Our natural state is to be healthy. When we are unhealthy at a young age, then something we are doing is wrong. Fortunately, my stomach healed. I learned to take care of myself is ways bigger than just myself. When you can do the same, you will live a bigger and greater life than you expected.

Coffee by George Hodan

Oct 24 2021

Chiropractor in Greenville explains knee exercises for beginners.

Here is a simple exercise that you can do at home with no equipment.
It works the biceps femoris, semimembranosus, semitendinosus muscles.
The purpose of this exercise is to increase knee strength and muscular endurance.
By doing this exercise you can have the benefits of improved stability, functional strength and injury prevention.

Begin lying on floor facing up.
Bend knees so feet are firmly on floor.
Extend arms upward toward ceiling.
Activate core muscles.
Lift hips off floor to attain a bridge position with knees, hips and shoulders in alignment.
Slowly return to start position.
Repeat for prescribed repetitions and sets.

Initially, you may develop some cramping in the back of your thigh. A simple hamstring stretch before and after may prevent this from occurring.
Slowly return to start position.
Repeat for prescribed repetitions and sets.

Oct 24 2021

Best chiropractic care techniques for neck pain

Chiropractic care is a kind of treatment that is non-surgical and is commonly used in relieving neck pain and other related problems. It is common for people to experience stiff necks at one point in their daily operations. If you slept with your head tilted in the wrong direction, it could be the first thing you experience in the morning.

However, it is important to learn that there is a difference between a stiff neck and one that hurts badly. Whether yours is the former or the latter, there is where you should draw the line and decide to seek consultation from a qualified chiropractor.

Some of the gentle chiropractic techniques include:

· Cervical mobilization

In this technique, the patient will lie with their back. While in this position, the chiropractor will gently move the neck vertebra from left side to right. This is accompanied by alternating side to side while the head is moved forward and backward. The best part of this technique is its mild nature and its main goal is to increase motion in areas between the cervical bones. It helps to reduce fixations in these parts hence making your neck flexible again.

· Cervical manual traction

In this method, the patient lays with their face up. In other cases, they could be sitting or less common, lying on their stomach. While the patient lies in this position, the chiropractor will slowly pull the neck which in turn stretches the cervical spine. There are various angles of doing this while moving the neck back and forth. The chiropractor seeks for the most comfortable point where they can reduce the tightness.

· Cervical “drop” technique

This is a technique where the patient either lies on their stomach or performed on a uniquely customized table where the head is lifted into a locked position. Once set, the doctor will then place their hand over the spinal muscle that required adjustment. The doctor then uses low amplitude thrust ranging from low to high velocity. The ultimate aim is to minimize the restricted movement of the vertebra. Twisting or rotation of the head is not common for this type of chiropractic technique.

Reasons for chiropractor’s technique choice

1. Patient’s preference

There are those patients who will not feel comfortable with the high velocity thrust manipulation. In fact, many patients have always preferred the mild approach which doesn’t involve all the thrusting.

2. Experience of the provider

There are times when a chiropractor will favor a particular technique due to their vast experience in its application. In many instances, these doctors will adapt and modify their techniques in order to suit the preferences and needs of their patient.

3. Contraindications

Due to their past experience, there are patients who might be able to stomach the old techniques. Also, if there was a previous injury, cervical manipulation may not be the best approach for a case like this one.

Woman And Hat By George Hodan

Oct 24 2021

Greenville Chiropractor describes intermediate neck exercise

Here is a simple exercise that you can do at home with no exercise equipment.
It works the longus capitis, longus colli, SCM (sternocleidomastoid) muscles.
The purpose of this exercise is to increase neck strength and muscular endurance.
The benefits are improved stability, functional strength and injury prevention.

Begin by lying on the back with the head extended off the table, maintaining a chin tuck position.
Slowly extend the head back towards the floor and then raise the head, returning to the initial neutral starting position and repeat as instructed.
Move slowly through the range of motion.
Slowly return to start position.
Repeat for prescribed repetitions and sets.

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