The school year is just around the corner which means it is time to take stock of your child’s backpack health! Each year seems to require a heavier load of books and this can create problems and pain for spines that are trying to grow. Keep these tips in mind:

• Weight: the ideal load should be no more than 15% of the carrier’s weight. Choosing a pack made of lightweight material and making sure they only take the essentials is a great way to stay around this target weight. Utilizing lockers to keep unnecessary books in between classes also helps to keep the weight off. 
• Always use two straps to avoid creating an imbalance in the amount of weight that drags on one side of the body. Using two straps and a hip strap helps to distribute the weight properly and prevents all the weight from being on the shoulders and neck. 
• Adjust the pack properly: don’t let your child fall victim to the strange fashion trend that is letting the back hang off the body with the shoulder straps all the way loosened. This is a great way to create strain and pain. 
• Lift the pack using leg muscles and keep it close to the body. 

At Scorca Chiropractic Center, we can help by offering an evaluation of the child’s spine to determine what kind of backpack fits best and how to wear it! From there, the onus is upon the parent to keep the bag from creating pain. Call our office in Fremont to see how we can help your child enter this school year with a firm grasp of backpack etiquette and health!

Dr. Francis Scorca, D.C. 

Nutrition is probably the biggest way we influence our health on a daily basis: for example, you may not be able to choose how well you sleep but you can choose what ingredients you put into your body. As part of a holistic wellness plan, nutrition influences everything from body weight and metabolic rate to emotional stability, injury recovery and even skin complexion. Today, I choose H₂O as my ingredient of the day. 

Are you among the (by certain estimates) 80% of Americans who are chronically dehydrated? The body needs water for every system to function properly; when it does not receive enough, it is forced to ration its existing supply. This means that vital organs are not getting the appropriate amount of water they need to function optimally. Being even the slightest bit dehydrated can raise cortisol, which is the body’s main stress hormone. 

The standard recommendation for water consumption is 1 quart per 50 pounds of body weight. This level may be higher or lower depending on your rate of activity during the day. However, meeting the daily recommendation for hydration will effect a noticeable increase in cognitive functioning, nervous system functioning and digestion. 

Nutrition and chiropractic care are complimentary. At Scorca Chiropractic Center, we provide you with the spinal adjustments to ensure your body is balanced and your nervous system is working optimally. We can also help you pursue a more healthy diet which will improve your specific condition. Give our office in Fremont a call at (510) 656-9077

Dr. Francis Scorca, D.C. 

Whatever your chosen sport, there is a way that chiropractic can improve both your performance and enjoyment. At Scorca Chiropractic Center, we provide the athlete with chiropractic adjustment supports to ensure that their biomechanical structure is in sound and conducive shape for athletic endeavor. Below, I have brainstormed some of the ways that regular chiropractic care adds to the athlete’s arsenal: 

• Release muscle tension
• Boost immune function
• Boost nervous system function
• Naturally increase energy levels
• Improve respiratory function
• Improve pulmonary function
• Increases speed of injury rehabilitation
• Maintains range of motion 
• Contributes to more flexibility
• Improve reaction times

Many of the world’s top athletes, irregardless of sport, include chiropractic as a regular part of their fitness routine. High-impact sports that involve regular collisions can put the same strain on the body as an automobile collision: often times, repetitive tackling can leave the vertebrae out of alignment, creating irritation to the nerve roots that accentuate the spinal column. Correcting this misalignment will decrease the time needed to heal. 

For low impact sports, chiropractic gives you the edge by reducing your vulnerability to injury from extreme motions (think the twisting involved in golf or tennis), and relieves the strain that is imparted on muscles and joints. Improving circulation is another area we focus on at our office in Fremont: every function and process in the body needs the nourishment and oxygen that is delivered through the blood. Call our office today to schedule an appointment and find out how you can start maximizing your athletic advantage. 

Dr. Francis Scorca, D.C. 

Stretching is your friend: 5 minutes when you wake up, 5 minutes before bed. 5 minutes before an exercise, 5 minutes after. Every minute counts when your flexibility and range of motion are on the line. At Scorca Chiropractic Center, we can help you realize and implement a stretching routine to make everyday motions easier. Here are some tips to keep in mind when stretching: 

• Stretching should never equal pain: there is a difference between feeling the stretch, and feeling a pain. If you feel pain, stop immediately. 
• Hold stretches for as long as it takes for muscles to become loose: you may have to start small (3-5 seconds) and scale up (20-30) seconds in order to really make the stretch count. Return to a neutral position then repeat the stretch 3-5 times. 
• Move slow: Don’t dive right into a stretch, especially a new one. This can actually cause damage to the muscles which is completely counterproductive. Ease your body into each new stretch until you have a familiarity and a confidence with the movement. 
• Do it everyday: if you have found a stretching routine that works, make it a habit. Doing your stretches everyday is the only way to break from a sedentary lifestyle and start on the path toward more flexibility. 

If a particular part of your body needs stretching everyday to feel functional, there may be an underlying problem that we can help you with. Chiropractic adjustment is effective at targeting specific joints and restoring alignment to the body. We utilize modalities that release tension from tight muscles and improve range of motion immediately, making your stretch count more. 

Dr. Francis Scorca, D.C. 

Why is it important to be flexible? Think about this question in the context of being young; how you could do seemingly any motion without the thought of straining a muscle. To put it mildly, at least a baseline flexibility is needed to perform every movement. As we grow older, gain weight, spend more time at work and pursue more sedentary lifestyles, our bodies lose their flexibility and range of motion: your muscles will only be pliable enough for the activities you regularly ask them to do. 

With limited range of motion and poor flexibility, everyday motions become harder and more likely to cause significant injury. At Scorca Chiropractic Center, we would like to see people regain their flexibility through regular stretching so that they can enjoy: 

• Confidence that everyday motions will not lead to pain
• Better circulation
• Prevention of injuries
• Enhanced athletic performance
• Easier aerobic training
• Less stress to the muscles
• A host of other healthful benefits

The intensity, duration and frequency of your stretching routine should be detailed to the individual. After all, you should not perform any stretch if it causes you pain. Call our office today and find out how we can help you heal your back injury quicker through chiropractic adjustment, corrective exercise and a regime of stretching that will keep you limber and healthy long into the future.

Dr. Francis Scorca, D.C. 

When it comes to influencing your own health, nutrition is power. From a chiropractor’s perspective, there are few better ways to ensure the longevity of your spinal health and overall well-being than focusing on consuming healthful ingredients in the proper amounts. Of course, diet differs for everyone. However, there are some basic tips to adhere to which will help you start feeling better today.

• Eating out less frequently: Know where your ingredients come from and limit the amount of unhealthy fats and sugars that are often contained in restaurant food. 
• Cutting down on alcohol: reduce your caloric intake immediately by putting a limit on the amount of alcohol you consume in a week. This will help you lose weight which will reduce the burden on your spine. 
• Eating fresh: take advantage of the summer time and source your produce locally. Fresh, raw fruits contain the highest levels of vitamins. 
• Thinking organic: After all, who wants to consume pesticides? 
• Vitamin D: Immune system functioning and bone health. In summer it is abundant, but many Americans let their Vitamin D intake fall dangerously low during winter. Add ingredients like mushrooms into your diet and consider taking a supplement. 
• Hydrating properly: Buy a .75 or 1 liter water bottle and make it your best buddy. Put stickers on it, or just buy a cool color; do whatever it takes to rediscover how good drinking water can make you feel. H₂O is cool!

 Wellness encompasses every aspect of your health: physical, emotional and mental. At Scorca Chiropractic Center, we can help you unlock the power of nutrition to help your body heal faster and work more efficiently. Any health goal is made easier by the support of a solid, specifically tailored diet. Nutrition can also help you reduce mental stress, among many other benefits. Call our office in Fremont to find out how nutrition can become a part of your total wellness plan today. 

Dr. Francis Scorca, D.C. 

Summer is the season of wellness: abundant sunshine gets us motivated to take to the outdoors and get fit. At Scorca Chiropractic Center, we like summer because it offers us so much choice: the many hours of daylight allow you to choose whether you will work out or relax, both of which are important for mental and physical well-being. Here are some ways you can maximize your well-being during the warm season.

• Take the sun: vitamin D is important for immune system functioning and bone health. Most Americans simply do not get enough. In summer, it is free! So grab a book or a cool drink and relax in the sun. However, be sure to stay hydrated, use sunscreen and alternate sunlight and shade to avoid heat exhaustion and sunburn.
• Stay hydrated: Simply put, we sweat more in the summer. Make sure you are replacing the water you lose and paying attention to sodium levels in your body to avoid getting sick from the sun.
• Exercise, the fun way: bored of running? Head out on a trail. Bored of the pool? Head to a lake. Replacing the monotony of city landscape with the pleasure of natural surroundings is a great way to make exercise feel fun again.
• Eat well: Farmer’s markets are thriving in our area. Take a day out of the week to select local produce that will enrich your life with vitamins, minerals, fiber and other nutrients.

At the end of the day, relax. Summer is about taking it easy, so use this season to focus on removing stress from your life. For help on maximizing your well-being, give our office in Fremont a call at (510) 656-9077.

We offer chiropractic care, nutritional counseling and corrective exercise.

Dr. Francis Scorca, D.C.

Golf and chiropractic are complimentary: golf gets people up and active which contributes to overall health, while chiropractic keeps them resistant to the types of injuries that accrue from the accentuated torsion of a golf swing. Furthermore, keeping your spine in alignment is particularly important for the golfer: a subluxation could put more pressure on one part of the body creating excess strain that leads to injury down the line. 

At Scorca Chiropractic Center, we offer golfers the following services:

• Spinal adjustment: improving spinal mobility and reducing pain.
• Core strengthening: focusing on adding stability to the core to create resistance against the strain that golf swings impart.
• Injury rehabilitation: focusing on improving the healing time of ligaments and tissue that may be strained on the course. 
• Dietary information: if you are struggling with an injury, adding anti-inflammatory ingredients into your diet could make a big difference in your recovery time.
• Swing advice: shortening the amount of rotation during your swing can reduce the amount of excess torsion that may be aggravating your back (it may make you more accurate as well)
• Pre-first tee stretching tips: stay tuned to the next blog to find out what kind of stretches should be performed to keep you limber and add strength to your game. 

Because golf season is in full flow, we are seeing more people come in with injuries of varying degrees from the golf course. At our office in Fremont, we have the treatment modalities and expertise to get you back on the course in no time.

Dr. Francis Scorca, D.C. 

Gardening season is upon us. For many people, this is an activity that brings us out of our winter skin and into the sun with quick bursts of activity for which our bodies may not be ready. Motions involved in gardening include twisting, kneeling, bending and pulling, all of which put stress on the structures and muscles of the body. So here are some tips to avoid injury and make gardening a pain-free, fun experience, like it should be.

• Stretch: does it seem funny to stretch before gardening? Even a few purposeful warm ups will keep your body limbered up against the repetitive motions involved in gardening. 
• Hydrate: you are out in the hot summer sun after all! You need to replenish your body with more water than if you were to be sitting under the air conditioner. Take rests often to admire your work and have a sip of water. 
• Get those knees dirty! (or not, if you use a kneeling pad): the point here is to kneel rather than bend, which exposes ligaments and muscles of your back to strain from overstretching. 

Above all: enjoy your gardening season! If you are feeling pain regardless of how much you stretch and hydrate, there may be an underlying spinal problem that is holding you back from your optimal well-being. Call our office in Fremont to schedule an appointment today.

Dr. Francis Scorca, D.C. 

When it comes to well-being, it is important to focus on the factors that are within your realm of influence. The two most tangible of these factors would be exercise and nutrition. I am going to focus on the second of these: nutrition is huge. It can influence everything from your emotional stability to body weight (which impacts spinal health), sleep patterns, skin complexion and athletic performance. You may not be what you eat, but you certainly can impact how you feel with what you eat. Living with less stress begins with the last thing you ate or drank. 

Drink water. Are you among the 80% of Americans that are chronically dehydrated? The number one way to start increasing the health of your brain, bones and nervous system is to stay hydrated. Everyone knows that the body is reliant on water for all its major functions, so it is shocking to see the amount of people who choose to spend money on more coffee and soda. Being dehydrated is directly linked to higher levels of the stress hormone Cortisol. 

The general rule is 1 quart of water per 50 pounds of body weight. This will mean that there is enough H₂O in the body for the functioning of all vital organs. We recommend getting yourself a cool looking reusable water bottle and making it your best friend. It is amazing how quick you can attach to something that brings you so many health benefits at so low a cost. 

At Scorca Chiropractic Center, we use nutrition to boost your biochemical well-being. Give our office in Fremont a call at (510) 656-9077 and see how we can make your dietary changes count. 

Dr. Francis Scorca, D.C.