Thursday, April 25, 2013

What is a subluxation?


We Chiropractors like to throw around the term "subluxation". I would like to try and define that for you. Funny thing is some chiropractors may not totally agree with my definition because we, as a profession, cannot totally agree. Anyway, here goes nothing.
A subluxation in the spine is a vertebral misalignment that causes stress on the nerves causing lack of health to the organ or tissue that that nerve innervates. OK. OK. Lots of big words, right? Here is another way of describing it. If you were to have a garden hose running at full speed, but put a stress such as a car tire on the hose what happens? The water cannot get through, right? Similar idea with our nerves. Fortunately subluxations aren't usually as "heavy" as a car, but sometimes it can be.
When our nerves aren't functioning optimally we cannot function optimally. This may do anything from having a lack of immune function to infertility.
So... when you are adjusted to alleviate the subluxations our bodies are able to function more optimally. This allows your body to heal itself. Our bodies were designed to do that very thing so why don't we all decide to allow our bodies to work optimally!!!
SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT IDEA TO ME!!!

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Mattresses and Pillows


When it comes to beds/sleeping I don't think that most people consider it a priority as much as they should. When we go shopping for a car, we look at comfort, color, make, price, mileage, etc... and we are willing to spend a LOT of money on one. BUT... how many hours a day do we spend in our cars? One hour, two maybe.
We spend on average 5-10 hours per night on our mattress and our pillows!!! Why are we willing to spend LOTS of money on our cars, but when it comes to mattresses we settle for cheap? ANYWAYS...
When you are shopping for a mattress my recommendation would be to take your time. There is no perfect mattress. I have even been a sales person that sold mattresses and I would like to say again, there is no perfect mattress. You need to find the one that is right for you. That takes time.
When I went shopping for a mattress I spent a long time lying on the mattress and felt for any tensions in your spine or anywhere else in your body. It will be subtle so you have to pay close attention. Also you want to try lying on your back AND your side. I would also look at consumer reports. Look at what others are saying about the mattress. Ask your friends.
In my opinion, and with what I see in my office, pillow top mattresses are NOT the way to go. Patients tell me that they feel a sagging after a short period of time. That would not be good support for your spine. These patients hurt a lot in the morning when they get up, and have restless sleep. That is all I will say about mattresses so good luck shopping.

Good quality pillows are another very important item you should have. When buying a pillow you might need to consult a professional first, but for the most part you should look for something that has support in the neck for side or back sleeping. Also, it is usually not a good idea to have a pillow that is too thick or too thin. BUT this is one of those things that an assessment might be necessary. If you have a lot of degenerate problems in your neck or certain diseases you may need a different pillow. SO consult your chiropractic physician if you are not sure.

I hope this answered your questions about pillows and mattresses. It is probably not ok for me to mention name brands on a blog so I didn't, but if you want to ask more of those types of questions you can contact me on my website at www.childandfamilychiro.com