Osteoporosis and the many forms of arthritis are conditions primarily associated with the elderly, as they should be, because our bodies and, in particular, our bones degenerate naturally with age. The problem is that with a more sedentary society, the age of onset for these conditions of degeneration is shifting forward to affect a younger demographic. Chronic poor posture, a serial lack of inactivity, and an ignorance of proper nutrition, well these are simply bywords for a 21st century reality. The thing is, it doesn’t have to be this way: there are minute changes you can make now that will help you set a proactive attitude toward aging. Nutrition is one of the greatest ways to get started. Food for spinal health:

• Eat your veggies for vitamins: if there’s a vitamin symbolized by a letter, you probably need more of it. Plant-based nutrition is the best way to capture the proper daily value you need of all your vitamins. For people concerned with back care, look to vitamins D, K and B12 in particular in order to keep bones growing and fortified. (leafy greens, fortified dairy products) 
• If you have back pain, eat anti-inflammatory: omega-3s from fish oil, and consume herbs and cooking spices regularly! Make a delicious soup; eat a 3-ounce piece of salmon to provide you with 100% of the vitamin D you need in a day plus a helping of omega-3 fatty acid.
• Build strong bones: calcium, magnesium and vitamin D are your most important ingredients here (fortified dairy, egg yolks)
• Avoid these foods: hydrogenated oils, processed foods, saturated fats, and nightshade vegetables. 

Diet is one of the strongest ways you can account for the incursions of age which occur in all organisms. As humans, we have the power to fight back by customizing our lifestyle to account for our particular condition. For help on creating a holistically-minded lifestyle for your well-being, give our office in Fremont a call to schedule an appointment today. 

Dr. Francis Scorca, D.C. 

If you are having trouble falling asleep at night, a stretch routine could be just the tonic you need. Pour yourself a cup of sleepy time tea, or a hot honey and lemon and try these easy stretches that promote relaxation and calm the nervous system. As with almost all stretches, there should be an emphasis on deep breathing to bring in oxygen your cells need to feel nourished after you open them up to the circulation that comes with a good stretch.

1. Lay supine and bend your knees into the chest, grabbing the inside edges of the feet with your hands, palms facing outward. Push the knees out to the side then lower them toward your armpits, keeping the heels above the knees and feet flexed. Hold for 10 seconds, counted out by each deep breath you take. 
2. The simple bridge: Lie supine with knees bent and feet flat. Keep your arms extended with palms up. Use your abs and heels to lift the hips and back into the air to form a diagonal line between shoulder and knees. Hold for 10 seconds, then lower gently back to the starting position. 
3. Sit cross-legged and put the left hand on the floor to the side of the left hip. Extend your right arm up by the ear. Lean toward the left, keeping buttocks firmly on the floor and shoulders down. Hold 10 seconds, and repeat on the other side. 

Stretching before bed, along with eating properly and perhaps treating yourself to a relaxing soak, are some great ways to get your body in a receptive state for sleeping. Mental quietude can be hard to come by, so we want to stack all the odds in your favor if you are struggling to sleep. If pain is a contributing factor, call our office in Fremont, so we can start you on a path toward healing and better sleeping. 

Dr. Francis Scorca, D.C. 

When it comes to stretching, there should be an impetus on starting simple. Too many people dive into yoga or advanced stretching and become disillusioned because there bodies are not in a receptive state to cope with the more strenuous motions. For people with chronic, non-specific back pain, the greatest reward can be reaped from the simplest stretches, as long as they are done consistently. Try to add the following stretches into your daily routine, whether in the morning when you wake up or right before bed (or both), and see how much vitality and pain-relief they can bring into your life. 

• Strengthening and relaxing the glutes: lie supine, with legs raised and feet flat on the floor. Bring one knee up to your chest and hold for 15 seconds, then repeat with the other leg.
  
• Creating a 4 for releasing tension from the piriformis muscle: lay flat on your back with legs raised and feet flat. Cross the right ankle over the left leg, clasp hands behind left knee and pull up toward the chest. Hold for 30 seconds then repeat with other leg. 
• Stretch the hip flexors: Kneel with the right leg down and left leg up. Place both hands on the left knee and lean forward, feeling a stretch in the hips and hamstring. Hold for 30 seconds, then switch and repeat
• Stretch the hamstrings: lay on your back with legs raised and feet flat. Lift one leg and point the flat of the foot toward the sky, while clasping behind the elevated leg’s knee. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat twice for each leg. 

These stretches require very little investment of time and or energy, all are performed while lying down on a flat surface, and all of them can synergize to help your lower back feel a little bit of relief from the daily accumulation of stress. If you need help addressing deeper lying problems that are keeping you from feeling your best, give our office a call to schedule an appointment today. 

Dr. Francis Scorca, D.C. 

Scar tissue is part and parcel of post-surgery recovery- in fact, it is the only way you can heal. Despite what some medical professionals will have you believe, scar tissue is very likely not the cause of post-operative pain as there are no nerve endings in the new tissue. However, the new tissue is less elastic than the previous tissue and when scar tissue is allowed to proliferate unchecked, it can bind nerve roots in a process called fibrosis. So, while scar tissue may not be the true source of your pain post-operation, it can be problematic. Chiropractic treatment modalities including the Graston Technique, Myofascial Release and the Active Release Technique seek to prevent excessive scar tissue accumulation and prevent it from adhering to healthy tissue, which inevitably leads to pain and stiffness. 

Staving off scar tissue accumulation is a microcosmic example of the kind of trials you may face after a spinal operation. A key to any successful back surgery story is the maintenance of an extensive rehabilitation program that requires a great deal of proactivity on the part of the patient. Strengthening, stretching and conditioning of the muscles One way we prevent the nerve from becoming trapped in the aforementioned scenario is by keeping the affected region moving with stretching. 

Spinal surgery is sometimes the only method of recourse for alleviating a patient’s symptoms enough to begin a rehabilitation program. However, spinal surgery is rarely the be-all, end-all cure that some people believe it to be; much more often, in fact, it is only the beginning. To make a surgery truly successful, you must be diligent in your follow up and active in your recovery, with a little help from someone in the know; to this end we offer you our services at Scorca Chiropractic Center.

Dr. Francis Scorca, D.C. 

So you’ve got a stiff neck, welcome to adulthood. Chronic neck pain with no direct cause can, at its least severe, be concerning and disruptive and at its worst, cause you to miss work and suffer. When neck or back pain is nonspecific in nature, it is usually the result of many factors combined: whether it be poor posture, lack of activity or exercise, a poor-quality pillow, the adhesion of scar tissue or the accumulation of stress, these are just a few among many malefactors that can contribute to a chronically stiff neck. A few of the ways we help people with chronic neck pain include:

• Treating muscle strain. Connecting the shoulder and cervical spine is the levator scapula, a muscle that is controlled by nerves exiting between the third and fourth cervical vertebrae. Everyday motions, along with the tightness that builds in the office can strain this muscle and the pain will be experienced in the neck region.
• Treating “pinched nerves.” While the term pinched can be a misnomer, it refers to the subluxation which often leads to pain. Ever woke up with a crick in your neck? This could be because you slept wrong and there is a rather severe nerve impingement occurring as a result. 
• Treating Facet Joint Syndrome. This is a condition whereby the small facet joints that accentuate the vertebrae become pressurized and cause pain that is characterized by headache, muscle spasm and neck or back pain. 

If your muscles are misfiring, your nerves are impinged or your joints pressurized, chiropractic adjustment and massage therapy is an excellent option. We begin by examining your spine to determine whether structural causes are the problem and once we have a clear picture, we can proceed with hands-on, non-invasive modalities that will help you feel great again. 

Dr. Franics Scorca, D.C. 

The first meal of the day is of ultimate importance: studies show that skipping out on a wholesome breakfast leaves you at a disadvantage. Even if it wasn’t linked to serious health conditions including diabetes, depression, heart disease and memory loss, foregoing breakfast starts your day off on the wrong foot. When you wake up, your brain needs to break the fast of the night in order to help you transition into a day full of frenetic activity; you are literally craving nourishment. In this scenario, a coffee and toaster strudel is not going to cut it. 25-30% of your total daily calorie intake should be consumed within 2 hours of waking. The benefits of breakfast:

• Weight management. A key benefit from the chiropractor’s perspective. Foregoing breakfast does not fit into any weight loss plan. In fact, it works against you because you will seek out extra calories and end up overeating later in the day.
• Cognitive function: does starving you brain of nutrients sound like a good precedent to set when you have deadlines to meet and projects to complete? Breakfast fortifies and stabilizes glucose levels which allows the brain to perform its essential functions.
• Energy levels: coffee may cut it for a while, but it also makes you unstable and shaky if you don’t have the right food in your system. Eating breakfast encourages balance throughout the day, preventing you from going up and down emotionally. 

Breakfast should be a key part of anyone’s health plan. At Scorca Chiropractic Center, we seek to help people find balance in their life and breakfast is the best place to start establishing balance on a daily basis. 

Dr. Francis Scorca, D.C.

Scar tissue is natural. Whenever injuries occur inside the body, scar tissue forms, just as scars form on the surface of the skin when cuts or punctures are made. It can effect every part of the body, from organs to muscles to connective tissues and some people are more prone to it than others. After an injury has been sustained, and often times after surgery, scar tissue forms and adheres to the healthy tissue around them, creating stiffness in joints and pain, which often has no other reasonable cause. Nerves can often become trapped by this adhesion, creating trigger points that are extremely sensitive. Even repetitive activities such as typing can cause micro-trauma to the joints in the fingers, leading to the build up of scar tissue over time. So scar tissue is natural, but it is also insidious: we need to prevent our bodies from building up too much of it, otherwise it will limit our range of motion. 

Chiropractic is excellent for preventing the build-up of too much scar tissue and from dispelling that which already exists. Techniques we use include:

• Active Release Technique
• Graston Technique
• Myofascial Release

Scar tissue is less elastic than standard muscle tissue (some estimates say around 60% as elastic), so an area full of scar tissue will therefore feel stiffer and achier. These techniques target adhesion and trigger points to break up the accumulating scar tissue. By removing forces which are actively pulling your body out of balance and limiting the range of motion in joints, we also contribute to spinal balance. The muscle tension that is indicative of scar tissue build up responds very well to our modalities at Scorca Chiropractic Center; give our office in Fremont a call and schedule an appointment today to start healing these injurious regions and opening them up to the influx of nutrients and oxygen that they need. 

Dr. Francis Scorca, D.C.

When it comes to exercising, commitment is the key. Not everyone is born with a gym rat mentality, but most of us realize that keeping muscles conditioned and maintaining a healthy weight are corner stones of a long, healthy life. Many adults are in the same boat: more work and less physical activity combine with a slowing metabolism to add pounds which equate to burden on the spine, especially in the lumbar region. As we get older and stiffer, our proclivity for activity decreases because it is hard to know where to start. At Scorca Chiropractic Center, we are here to help get you motivated and excited about the prospect of a slimmer body and a longer, healthier life.

The services we offer at our office in Fremont in support of your maintenance of a healthy weight include:

• Creating a personal strategy: you have been sitting too much, creating stiff muscles and a weak core. This damage needs to be slowly reversed so that your core can work for you. We help you find spinal balance, better posture and establish your core as a stabilizer to help share the burden of the upper body’s weight. 
• Starting small: we help restore spinal balance through chiropractic adjustment, which in turn restores flexibility and range of motion. From this vantage point, we take you through basic calisthenics and breed a penchant for exercise that ensures you will keep coming back for more. 
• Helping you overcome pain: stiffness and soreness are two things that hold people back, especially at the beginning. If we can help you overcome pain through chiropractic adjustment, spinal decompression and massage, you will be more likely to pursue an exercise plan. 

For your health’s sake, we are your biggest fans! We want to establish health and well-being as institutions in your life, and we have the tools to do so. Stop being nervous and start on the road to a healthier you by calling our office today. 

Dr. Francis Scorca, D.C.

Lumbar: the very word itself usually conjures an association with pain. That’s because we rarely ever talk about the lumbar region unless it is already causing us pain, and this attitude is symbolic of all self-inflicted afflictions of the lower back: for example, think of all the times people have told you to sit up straight (as a child) and yet we constantly ignore this advice and slouch because it is temporarily more comfortable. We only have ourselves to blame for the epidemic nature of lower back pain in America, and it is time we start taking the preventative measures that will keep our backs healthy and minds happy into old age. 

The lumbar region is composed of five vertebrae, the largest of the spine, which are responsible for bearing the weight of the upper body and absorbing the stress and shock of daily movements, such as lifting and carrying heavy objects. Diverging from the spinal column at this point is a far-reaching network of nerves that influence many of our essential functions including the mechanics of leg movement. So, if we know that the health of this area must be critically important, we must make preserving its health a priority. 

At Scorca Chiropractic Center, we apply the framework of, “knowledge is power,” to the lumbar region. In other words, don’t wait until your lower back starts causing you pain before you call up a health professional. Give our office in Fremont a call now and start on a proactive health plan that will prevent pain and keep you limber in old age. A plan for prevention includes muscle strengthening, proper posture, proper body mechanics, a good diet and regular light aerobic exercise. Filling in the gaps with exacting details is an individual science, and we promise to help you formulate a plan for success. 

Dr. Francis Scorca, D.C. 

Back to school is an exciting and important part of the year. As temperatures cool down and we transition into a more stable school schedule, it is important to remember that your child’s spinal health is central to their physical and mental performance. Many factors play into this: 

• Backpack form: a properly fitting backpack means the difference between your child carrying a properly supported load or a load of weight that is creating imbalance and strain on the supportive muscles and structures of a young spine. 
• Importance of warming up: whether at the playground or on the sports field, make sure that your child is aware of the importance of stretching before vigorous activity. 
• Nutrition and hydration: If you have control over your child’s diet, do not take it for granted. If your child eats at school cafeterias, which are not exactly known for their nutritious offerings, make sure you are not alloting money toward an unhealthy diet. 
• Ergonomic work space at home: while the classrooms may not be geared toward proper support and posture, you can make the work space at home an optimal fit for your child. 

At Scorca Chiropractic Center, we believe that you can keep your child excited about school by keeping them involved in their own health. Kids can be extremely creative when challenged, and we urge you to challenge themselves to stay healthy across the board this school year. For help getting creative in this regard, give our office in Fremont a call. We can help you and your child enter the school year on a firm foot forward. 

Dr. Francis Scorca, D.C.