Posts by Scorca
Holiday Hamstring Health: An Overlooked Way of Keeping Back Pain at Bay
Forget the holiday ham, let’s focus on the hamstrings
Tight hamstrings are a key contributor to lower back pain. Running through the back of the thigh, from hip to knee, the hamstrings are perfectly placed to cause dysfunction. Tightness in the hamstrings creates a pull that increases stress on the lower back, contributes to muscular imbalance, and can even cause sciatica. Tight hamstrings also:
- Pull the pelvis out of alignment
- Cause stress to the sacroiliac joints
- Contribute to postural problems
In short, tight hamstrings are a recipe for back pain that you can’t afford while you are trying to balance a hectic holiday schedule.
The Chiropractic Christmas Card
A friendly reminder from your chiropractor this holiday season
The holiday season is about taking stock of what really matters in life. That usually boils down to family, friends, peace, happiness and good health. But we would like to hold up a candle for something we see as equally important: the health of our spines. The spine is our pinnacle of wellness and it only makes sense that we treat it with some gravity, especially considering that the spine is under added threat during a holiday season which often sees us less active than the rest of the year.
Your Joints are Made to Move: Overcoming Mechanical Back Pain in Fremont
Mechanical back pain hampers athletes in Fremont
Mechanical back pain is a blanket term that applies to any pain or dysfunction related to the spine and the supporting structures and musculature. The most common mechanical back pain in sports involves joints of the spine moving out of place. Misalignment of the spine contributes to the following problems for athletes:
- Lost range of motion
- Pain caused by nerve compression
- Muscular imbalance and pain
And if you are pushing for the top of your game, you can’t afford a single one of these drawbacks. Read on to find out how we treat mechanical back pain for athletes in the Fremont area.
A Dynamic Approach to Sports Rehab
Individualized sports rehab in Fremont
At Scorca Chiropractic Center, we know that every injury is unique. That’s why we perform a comprehensive medical exam to determine a patient’s medical history and musculoskeletal health profile. Your injury forms part of a picture within the framework of your greater health. From this vantage point we detail a fully customized treatment plan that will help set a course for quick, effective recovery.
Effective Sports Rehabilitation with Chiropractic
A more dynamic approach to healing sports injuries
At Scorca Chiropractic Center, we work with many athletes who are trying to stay one step ahead in the game and another step ahead of injuries. Chiropractic is an important part of the toolbox for optimizing athletic performance, including sharpening reaction times and improving range of motion. But it is also an important part of sports injury rehabiliation, as chiropractic offers a range of modalities for effecting a full recovery and returning you to your sport stronger than ever.
Oxygen is the Energy Molecule: Improving Athletic Performance Through Better Circulation
Why blood flow is important for athletes
Exercise is surely important for improving circulation, but how is circulation important for improving exercise? The more active you are, the more energy your body requires; as you move, the body’s metabolic rate increases and muscles demand more oxygen. More energy is needed to continue exercising without fatigue, and the body responds by producing more of the energy-storing molecule ATP. ATP is fuel for your muscles, and it is produced by a process in which oxygen breaks down glucose. Proper oxygenation of the musclesshould therefore be a priority for any athlete.
Rethink the Way you Read in Bed
What is more relaxing than reading in bed?
Reading in bed with good posture! Unfortunately, there is no correct nor ideal posture for reading in bed, and most spinal care specialists would recommend not doing it! But that’s not human nature and, acknowledging that the allure of recreating in bed is strong, we must do what we can to mitigate the damage to our spines when undertaking activities such as reading or using a laptop in bed.
Snore No More: Focus on Sleep Hygiene
Conservative remedies for combating snoring
Snoring may make you the target of family jokes, or incur you the ire of a disgruntled bed partner, but studies show that there is a darker side to snoring. Of those who snore, 75% are thought to suffer from obstructive sleep apnea. It’s no wonder that once people become aware of snoring’s role in their lives, they seek to do something about it. But it doesn’t have to be drastic action, at least at first. Most experts agree that conservative methods can help remedy your snoring before trying more aggressive treatments including medication and surgery.
Supporting Your Spinal Curves with Sitting Posture
Your spine has four essential curves
These are, from top to bottom:
- The cervical curve: 7 vertebrae, concave curve
- Thoracic curve: 12 vertebrae, convex curve
- Lumbar curve: 5 large vertebrae, concave curve
- Sacral curve: 5 fused vertebrae which connect to the 4 fused vertebrae of the coccyx, convex curve.
Describing this spring-loaded, S-shape, helps us understand how the curves compress and expand throughout the day to perform shock absorbing and stabilizing duties that keep us upright and injury free. However, compressive forces, including the excessive pressure that comes with poor posture, can work over time to actually change our spinal curvature and leave us worse off.
It’s Never Too Early to Talk About Spinal Longevity
What does spinal longevity mean to you?
To us, it means an old age free of back pain; furthermore, it means an old age with independence of mobility. And while there will be many intangible factors that contribute to your spinal health, it is important to exercise control over the factors which you can in the here and now. These factors include diet, exercise, posture, and sleep. Making sure you pay attention to posture and movement while focusing on getting the right kind of food gives you the best possible chance of staying upright and independent in your old age.