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Chiropractic
Forward Head Posture Caused by Texting Posted on July 07th, 2010
What is forward head posture?
FHP is when persons ears are forward from their shoulders, which typically leads to the forward rounding of the shoulders and a tucking in of the chest. If you want to know what FHP really looks like take a look at your neighbor in their cubicle at work or at your child when they are on the computer. This posture is the leading cause for stress related neck and shoulder tension/pain in my office. These days children and adults are constantly plugged into their held held devices such as cellular phones, Nintendos, e-readers, and iphone applications. A survey done by Kaiserfound that young people from the ages of 8-18 spend 7.5 hours a day using some form of mobile media. In fact a survey done by Nokia's global messaging service suggested that texting is reportedly addictive. Furthermore, this survey was confirmed in 2004 by the Catholic University in Belgium. In fact a University in Australia said texting is as addictive as cigarette smoking! Because the typical demographic for texting is people with the ages of 13-27 (in this area older due to the governments support of the blackberry) I have seen an exponential increase of these FHP patients in my office.
Heres the facts:
• Long Term forward head posture leads to "long term muscle strain, disc herniations and pinched nerves" (Mayo Clinic March 2000)
• In a recent study respiratory dysfunction "demonstrated a strong association between an increased forward head posture and decreased respiratory muscle strength in neck patients" (Cephalgia February 2009)
• "For every inch of forward head posture, it can increase the weight of the head on the spine an additional 10 pounds" (Kapandji, Physiology of the Joints, Volume 3)
• "Loss of cervical curve stretches the spinal cord 5-7cm and causes disease" (Dr. Alf Breig, neurosurgeon and Nobel Prize winner)
• FHP has been shown to flatten normal neck curve, resulting in disc compression, damage and early arthritis. (Spine 1986)
If you are experiencing neck pain make an appointment with Dr. Shara so she can give you a free consultation for your FHP. Call us today 703-683-7771.
Filed under: Chiropractic
The Perils of the Holidays Posted on December 22nd, 2009
During the holiday season we are bombarded with cookies, cakes, alcohol, and various other mouth watering comfort foods. Parties and gathering can lead to expanding waist lines and before you know it you'll be un-buttoning that top button of your pants for comfort! Moreover, the snow can also lead to boredom eating, so be very careful. When you're stuck at home and that cookies is staring you in the eye of course you want to eat it. Here are a couple of tips to control your weight during the season of jolly!
1.) NEVER GO TO A PARTY STARVING
Often we think that if we are going to eat at a party we should "save" all of our calories for that meal and the outcome won't be as bad. The truth is, statistically we end up eating more calories and generally make ourselves sick from overeating.
2.) MAKE TIME FOR EXERCISE
Even when you feel that there is no time for exercise keep in mind that walking around the mall, deep cleaning our houses,dragging things up and down from the attic are all form of great "holiday exercise". So try to stay active while being back safe!
3.) CHEW YOUR FOOD!
Inhaling your food is not only bad for your digestion, it does not allow your brain to register in time when enough is enough!
4.) USE A SMALLER PLATE
Choose your food wisely. Only eat the things you really enjoy. Don't just eat things because they are there. It is very important to remember to "budget" your food just like you budget your spending. Think of calories like spending dollars.
5.) RESTRICT OR AVOID ALCOHOL
This is the most important tip. By all accounts alcohol is the triple threat not only is it caloric but it also slows your metabolism, and stimulates your appetite. For more interesting insights check out our partner, Dr Robert Posner's blog at http://www.spdiet.blogspot.com/.
Filed under: Chiropractic
The Benefits of Chiropractic Posted on December 10th, 2009
So we know that chiropractic is a drug free, holistic way to help alleviate all of our back aches and pains. However, few people know that chiropractic can be helpful for more than just a sore lower back. Chiropractic can also be used for a variety of other body parts too! For example, headache or neck pain, tennis elbow, golfers elbow, knee pain, ankle pain, the list goes on... In fact, some people even use chiropractic to facilitate better range of motion, increased sense of wellness, and to improve performance and energy. There was a great Swedish study published in a peer reviewed journal call the Journal of Manipulative Physiological Therapeutics 199; 32.559-64. Patients of 87 Swedish chiropractors were interviewed and interestingly enough several of them reports improvements in "non-musculoskeletal" problems. As a matter of fact 1/4 patients reports it was easier to breathe and they had better digestion. Moreover, some of those patients reported better vision and cardiac function!
Filed under: Chiropractic
