Posts by Karen
Two Daily Movements for Resetting Neck Alignment
Two daily movements that help us restore balance and reduce tension:
- Shoulder blade squeezes: don’t try to squeeze a pencil between your shoulders, despite what some people suggest. This is too extreme of motion. Instead, focus on gently squeezing your shoulder blades and opening up your chest. This movement relieves tension in the thoracic and cervical segments.
- Chin tucks: this simple movement is effective for strengthening the muscles that are responsible for maintaining spinal alignment through the cervical segment and supporting the weight of your head.
Retraining your spine into a state of balance starts at the top
Always pay attention to your posture by performing posture resets as often as is possible. When you feel your head creeping forward, choose to realize that this is responsible for your aching, stiff neck at the end of the day; choose to reset your head atop the spine and give your neck a quick stretch. These little actions add up to make a world of difference in your spinal health.
The Importance of Pelvic Stability
Why do I want a more stable pelvis?
Think about all the joints in the pelvic region:
- Sacroiliac
- Pubic symphysis
- Iliofemeral (hip) joint
Pelvic stability means that all the muscles in this region are strong and able to prevent excessive movement from destabilizing the balance of joints in the region. While each of these joints obviously needs to move, excessive movement will create problems, especially for the spine. The fact is, the pelvis is the anchor of your upper body and thus your spine- if it is moving around without any stabilization, then the base of your spine has no stability either. This instability has ramifications in every movement you make. No matter who you are, pelvic stability is important for preventing injury in all types of activity.
A stable pelvis and a happy spine
A stable pelvis complements a stable core, forming the essential components of the framework which supports your spine. If you are interested in finding out more about simple ways to improve pelvic stability, give our office in Park Slope a call to schedule an appointment today.
Give Your Neck a Break with Cervical Traction
Reaping the benefit of cervical traction daily
People who don’t have disc-related conditions may still want to reap the decompressive benefits of cervical traction. Many of us leave work every day with a sore, stiff neck and choose to do nothing about it. If you have reached the end of your tether with chronic neck stiffness, try giving it a bit of traction at the end of the day- you only need a few minutes! Grab a foam roller and lay down, placing it under the base of your skull. Rest in this position and then gently start moving your head from side to side. The foam roller should provide a slight decompression, as well as a therapeutic massage effect.
Treating your neck in Park Slope
At our new office in Brooklyn, we are standing by to help all the stiff and sore necks in our community. We want to help you integrate neck care into your daily routine before your cervical vertebrae suffer from more serious conditions like herniated discs. If you are interested in finding out more about our brand of preventive healthcare, give our office in Park Slope a call to schedule an appointment today.
Cervicogenic Vertigo: When Dizziness and Neck Pain Overlap
Cervicogenic vertigo is a difficult condition to diagnose
When we suspect cervicogenic vertigo, we perform diagnostic tests such as the Dix Halpike Maneuver and the Head Fixed Body Turn test, both of which seek to gently articulate vertebrae in the neck in order to reproduce vertigo symptoms. Reproduction of vertigo during the DHM is an indicator of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, not cervicogenic vertigo; reproduction of vertigo during the HFBT is a positive indicator of cervicogenic vertigo. These two tests allow us to narrow down the cause of your cervicogenic vertigo which allows us to move on toward treatment.
Mechanical problems are most effectively treated by chiropractic
By excluding BPPV, we exclude the most common cause of vertigo, which strengthens the case for true cervicogenic vertigo. The vital difference between the two is that BBPV is caused by disorder in the inner ear while cervicogenic vertigo has a true mechanical cause; that means that chiropractic is one of the most effective methods for treating CV. CV responds well to spinal manipulation, myofascial release and other rehabilitative modalities. If you are interested in getting a clear diagnosis and plan for treatment regarding the cause of your vertigo, give our office in Park Slope a call to schedule an appointment today.
Chronic Pain Management with Acupuncture
Acupuncture for chronic pain
There is no one solution for all types of pain- the western medicinial cure that works for one may not do anything at all for the pain of another. At Community Chiropractic & Acupuncture of Park Slope, we use acupuncture to help people with chronic pain manage their symptoms. By controlling and increasing endorphin flow, pain signals are regulated and reduced; by unactivating the source of the pain, your brain’s awareness of that pain is similarly reduced. Acupuncture has other positive side effects that apply to pain management- it increases circulation which brings healing nutrients and oxygen to the injurious region; it releases other neurotransmitters such as seretonin which are important for relaxing mind and body.
Acupuncture at our new office in Park Slope
Acupuncture has further applications as a complimentary therapy that can integrate with more traditional forms of medicine in suppressing your chronic pain. If you are interested in finding out more, we urge you to give us a call. We hope to see you at our new office where we have dedicated acupuncture facilities that will help you manage your chronic pain in a natural an effective manner.
Can Acupuncture Ease Sciatica Symptoms?
Acupuncture addresses sciatica symptoms
By inserting tiny needles into strategic points in the body, acupuncture creates a chain reaction of healing:
- Releases painkilling endorphins in the targeted region.
- Relaxes tense muscles, including ones that could be impinging or creating a pull on the sciatic nerve
- Increases local blood flow, which brings oxygen and healing nutrients to the region.
Traditional Chinese Medicine maps out the points that correspond to dysfunction in the lumbar and sciatic nerve regions, allowing us to directly target the symptoms. By relieving pain, you are able to move more freely and perform exercise-based activities that can further improve your sciatica symptoms. Acupuncture is, in most applications, completely side-effect free and the upside is tremendous.
Let’s put acupuncture to work for your sciatica today
If you are interested in using acupuncture to improve your sciatica symptoms, give our new office in Brooklyn a call to schedule an appointment today. We firmly believe that the most effective way to take on any spinal condition, including sciatica, is with a multi-faceted. We have dedicated acupuncture facilities that will help you relax both body and mind in support of more effective healing.
When Compression is Your Problem- Spinal Healing Through Yoga
Yoga for compression injuries
Compression is defined as any injury or condition in which undue pressure is placed on the spinal cord. Degenerative illnesses, ruptured discs, bone spurs and acute injury can all cause compression, among many other factors. This brand of spinal pain is life-altering and most people will have to live and manage the pain for the rest of their lives. Enter yoga, which has long been used to improve symptoms related to compression suffering. Our guidelines for using yoga to account for compression include:
- A priority on being gentle in your movements.
- Avoiding excessive transfer of forces and extreme movements.
- Focusing on traction, or the lengthening of the spine during each sequence.
- Avoiding poses that exacerbate your condition
It is important to know which poses can actually worsen the pain. For compression-related pain, poses to avoid include:
- Camel Pose
- Boat Pose
- Shoulder standing or legs-up-the-wall
- Seated forward folds or toe touching poses
Using yoga to effectively account for your back pain in Park Slope
You should never start a new plan to account for your back pain without first consulting a health care professional. At Community Chiropractic & Acupuncture, we are in the business of helping people get an accurate diagnosis and picture of their back pain before we implement any holistic care strategies. Once we know the exact cause of your pain, we can begin incorporating modalities such as chiropractic care, massage, acupuncture and yoga to make powerful changes in your pain. If this sounds like something you are interested in, please give our new office in Brooklyn a call to make an appointment today.
A New Home For Our Chiropractic and Acupuncture Services in Brooklyn
We are proud to announce our new home
We are moving! Monday, April 2nd will be the day we say hello to you at a bigger and better office. The announcement is bittersweet as we are moving from a location that allowed us to connect with our community on a level we could never have imagined. In order to reach more members of this wonderful community, we need to be able to accomodate them! Therefore, our new site represents an upgrade, and we are so excited to share it with you. Here are the features of our new office:
- A new reception room that is large and relaxing
- More staff to attend to questions regarding appointments, insurance, care and services
- Wheelchair access
- 7 treatment rooms
- 5 dedicated chiropractic tables
- 2 acupuncture tables
- Cox-8 Flexion/Distraction table
- Support equipment to comfortably accomodate large pregnancies
- New rooms have light dimmers and Sonos voice-activated music systems for optimal relaxation
Come see us at our new address!
Community Chiropractic & Acupuncture of Park Slope will always have the same dedication to its community of patients. This new location will allow us to more comfortably and effectively contribute to the wellbeing of everyone who walks through our doors. If we have seen you before, please make sure to stop by and see the new features we have on offer; if you are looking to change the way you look, feel and function by using our natural healing techniques, come see us at our new location! We are standing by in our new office at 182 8th Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11215 and we look forward to seeing you here.
Your Acupuncturist Asks: What are You Waiting For?
Acupuncture is a full body tonic
At Community Chiropractic & Acupuncture of Park Slope, we see spring as the time of ultimate rejuvenation. Just as our ancestors took the opportunity to clear out their houses after a long, harsh winter, so too can we benefit from spring cleaning our bodies. Acupuncture is one of the best ways to do this:
- Immune system support: acupuncture improves immune function which is important during the season of allergies!
- Sleep support: acupuncture increases the amount of neurotransmitters involved in relaxation and sleep cycle regulation, helping you rest more effectively.
- Improve mood: again, by stimulating the production of certain neurotransmitters, acupuncture helps you feel happier.
- Back pain: reduces discomfort in the back and neck by improving circulation and releasing endorphins.
- Regulates heart health: acupuncture is noted for its ability to decrease stress markers in the blood, as well as lowering blood pressure.
Spring cleaning starts with holistic healing
At our office in Park Slope, we use all-natural modalities to help you feel your best. With better weather around the corner, you are going to want to get outside to take full advantage. Chiropractic and acupuncture are two ways of ensuring that you hit the ground running this spring. If you are interested in regulating and improving your internal systems and overall function with natural methods, give our office in Park Slope a call to schedule an appointment today.
How to Regain Control Over Office Posture
The most common postural deficiencies in the office
At Community Chiropractic & Acupuncture, we are treating more and more people whose bodies are suffering from a 9-5 lifestyle. The main postural shortcomings we see from office workers include:
- Rounded shoulders and a hunched back
- Forward head posture
- Anterior pelvic tilt
Often, all three of these are present at the same time. A single poor posture tends to pull our bodies out of alignment and cause imbalance in the musculature which is supposed to support good, healthy posture. As a result, good posture becomes harder to maintain and your body adjusts to support poor posture- the ugly cycle feeds itself. At your Park Slope Chiropractor, we focus on breaking this cycle by:
- Teaching good postural habits
- Undoing tension in the musculature
- Increasing strength in the postural muscles
- Reestablishing alignment in the spine
- Rebalancing the musculature which supports the spine
The end result is a body that has the right input variables to support good posture in the first place. The only piece left in the puzzle is awareness- being proactive when your body is slipping into unhealthy postural patterns.
Let’s turn the tables on poor posture today
The fight for good posture is a hard battle to win on your own. At our office in Park Slope, we seek to be Brooklyn’s go to resource for postural health. If you are interested in turning the tables of posture in your favor, give our office a call to schedule an appointment today.