Posts by Karen
Acupuncture to Reduce Inflammation
Inflammation is problematic: while it is a crucial element of the body’s healing response, it can evolve to a point whereby it serves no purpose other than to create illness and irritation. At Community Chiropractic & Acupuncture, we are familiar with the kind of stress that is added to life when chronic inflammation is present. It can leave us stiff and sore, and is linked to diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. It is important to get a proper diagnosis which differentiates the back pain between inflammatory and mechanical. From here, we have a number of modalities which can reduce pain and improve the suffering from chronic inflammation.
Acupuncture is one of them: in Traditional Chinese Medicine, there are points that correspond to the elements: water, fire, earth, metal and wood. When a patient comes in with inflammation, we select water points along meridians that correspond to the location of pain. These have been shown to be especially effective in fighting back against inflammation. Furthermore, acupuncture stimulates the body’s production of cortisol, a hormone that is known to reduce inflammation.
Don’t let chronic inflammation define your daily existence! Begin fighting back today by calling our office in Park Slope at (718) 398-3100 and scheduling an appointment. We offer you acupuncture and chiropractic treatment modalities that can truly reduce your pain and help you live a life of less pain.
Dr. Karen Thomas, D.C.
Acupuncture for Weight Loss
Are you struggling to lose excess weight and feel your best? If so, acupuncture could be the game changer. Traditional Chinese Medicine states that weight gain is caused by an imbalance in the body which can be sourced to the liver and spleen systems. Studies show that acupuncture, when combined with more traditional methods of weight loss, can actually help people shed pounds faster. What’s more, it is a safe and natural alternative to many weight-loss supplements and questionable diets.
An acupuncture treatment generally involves the insertion of fine needles into specific points of the body that correspond to a particular condition. The insertion of needles stimulates an endorphin release in the body that reduces stress, which can also be helpful for those serious about losing weight.
Acupuncture treatment has been shown to impact hormones that relate to weight including ghrelin and leptim. Furthermore, it can be used to influence metabolism, water retention, fat regulation and the digestive system. At Community Chiropractic & Acupunture, we want to show you how maintaining a healthy weight can contribute to your well-being. We offer you chiropractic care and acupuncture, as well as nutritional advice on losing ponds and keeping them off.
The summer is a time of increased energy, mental clarity and emotional well-being. There is no better time than now to make the changes that will lead to a smaller wasteline and a happier life!
Dr. Karen Thomas, D.C.
Acupuncture: the Natural Sleep Aid
Sleep can be our best friend or worst enemy. Along with diet and exercise, sleep is one of the leading ways we can impact our quality of life. While poor sleep quality is linked with depression, obseity, diabetes and cancer, a good quality of sleep is linked to emotional well-being, healthy brain functioning and physiological health. It can be said that a high quality of sleep equals a high quality of life.
Despite the importance of sleep, it is a rather unpredictable activity: some people are great sleepers, others are not. Many adults in America suffer from insomnia, sleep apnea and other conditions. Conventional medicines that treat sleep disorders are often linked to addiction and side-effects and very rarely offer a good long-term solution. Acupuncture is a traditional form of medicine that stimulates specific points in the body to promote natural healing, circulation and regulation of the various physiological systems. As it pertains to sleep, traditional chinese medicine focuses on two areas: mental quietude and physical rest. An imbalance in the body can upset either or both of these fragile harmonies.
There are certain acupuncture meridians which pertain to sleep: one which regulates circadian rhythms and one which supports the restfulness of sleep (depth and quality). Furthermore, Traditional Chinese Medicine focuses on balancing the yin and yang: Yin represents the night time, including sleep and restfulness while yang corresponds to the day time: energy and activity.
Using the power of acupuncture, we encourage restful, productive sleep. Sleep is a time of restoration and repair: if you feel that you are missing out on the benefits of a restful night’s sleep, give our office in Park Slope a call. We provide chiropractic care and acupuncture treatment, combined with counseling on lifestyle adjustments that will help you get a better night’s sleep.
Dr. Karen Thomas, D.C., L.Ac.
behavioral and lifestyle changes can help
Summer Time Nutrition
Summer is the season of freshness, positivity and reinvigoration. With bright summer days offering an abundance of (free) Vitamin D, you already have a head start on your winter body of health just by being outside. Vitamin D is essential for bone density and immune system functioning, two areas of health that we are primarily concerned with at your Park Slope chiropractor and acupuncturist. There are so many little things you can do to your diet during the summer that are not available at other times of the year. Start at the farmer’s market, of which there are many in our area, and follow some simple guidelines to make this your healthiest summer yet.
Less juice, more wholesome fruit: juice usually contains trace amounts of the vitamins found in raw fruit while containing much more sugar. Find the most vividly colorful fruit you can and sink your teeth into it: let the health flow.
Focus on fresh: local produce is a multi-win situation. Rather than being shipped across the country, you are ingesting vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants fiber and healthy sugars which have been plucked within a reasonable radius from you. The kinds of produce that are in season during the summer (think tomatoes, corn, berries, avocado) are chalk full of nutrients. We can help you determine which nutrients you need more of and help you select them for maximum taste as well as health.
Portion control: Humans will eat, on average, 92% of what is on the plate they are served. For those trying to watch their weight, this makes portion control a priority. Simply cooking smaller amounts, or serving a smaller amount will make you consume fewer calories and help you lose weight. This is a boon for back health, particularly in the lower back.
Summer is also a time of elevated activity: ensure your body is aligned, muscles are relaxed and your nervous system is working optimally by calling our office in Brooklyn today.
Dr. Karen Thomas, D.C.
Healthful Gardening
Gardening should be equal parts happy, health plants and happy, healthy you! The gardening season brings people out of their winter skin and for this we are grateful at Community Chiropractic and Acupuncture. Chiropractic and gardening are symbiotic: we often advise people to get moving for the sake of their health and this is exactly what gardening does. On the other side of the coin, many of the motions involved in gardening can lend strain to the body, especially the spine.
Here are some back-saving tips to help you enjoy gardening season without ending up sore at the end of the day.
- Warm up by stretching: Let us help you develop a 5 minute (or less) routine for the shoulders, back and hips that will keep you limber against the twisting and bending movements that are so frequent. Gardening is already a ritualistic endeavor to many; adding in stretching to the ritual will enrich the experience.
- Take frequent breaks: Kneeling in one patch pf the garden for an extended period of time will allow muscles to tighten and the spine to stiffen. If you can, take a break every now and then to admire your work and hydrate, especially with the warm weather. Mixing up your tasks is a great way to keep on the move.
- Gardening often requires heavy lifting, so be sure to lift properly. It can never be said enough: lift with the legs, not the back.
At our office in Brooklyn, we would like to see everyone enjoy a productive, pain-free gardening season. To this end, we can identify and correct subluxation that may be contributing to pain or stress to one part of the body. If you are already suffering from injury, we can speed the healing process with healing modalities that include acupuncture and hands on treatment of the tissues and ligaments.
Call our office in Park Slope at (718) 398-3100.
Dr. Karen Thomas, D.C.
The Core of the Issue
Many people subscribe to the idea that the core is just an ambiguous muscle in the middle of the body, when in reality it is so much more. The core is a system of muscles that work together to influence almost every move your body makes, excluding those of the limbs. This makes the core important, but it also means that working out the core properly is important to. For people concerned with using their core to improve the condition of their back, we need to look at the core differently than someone who is looking to get “ripped abs.”
The core can be used as a force producer but this is, in all reality, secondary to its nature. Exercises like crunches strengthen the abs and make the stomach powerful at iniating movement. So…try twisting crunches instead! For people who want to use the core to add support to the vertebrae and muscles of the lower back, we want the core to be a prime stabilizer: using exercises such as planks, side planks, bridges and deadlifts strengthens the core holistically creating a powerful, injury resistant center of the body. This helps to bear some of the burden that is placed on the lower back.
The core as a stabilizer is an excellent idea for people looking to rehabilitate injury or prevent one from ever happening again. At Community Chiropractic & Acupuncture, we urge you not to start an indiscriminate plan for “strengthening the core,” without consulting an expert first. While internet blogs and fitness magazines are good (albeit inconsistent) places to get information, our office offers you a personalized evaluation and health plan.
Dr. Karen Thomas, D.C.
Pelvic Tilting and Hip Bridges
A more aerobic lifestyle may be the way to a life free of back pain. Swimming, walking and running are great ways to add movement into your life that stops muscles from atrophying and promotes a stronger set of muscles that will protect the longevity of your spine.
But reducing the amount of time spent in a chair is only the tip of the iceberg. Here are some simple stretches you can do that won’t cost you a thing, but will increase your well-being greatly.
Pelvic tilting: strengthening the transverse abdominus, a key core muscle that will help improve core stability.
- Lay down on your back
- Knees bent, hip-width apart
- Right hand underneath curve in your back
- Press curve of your lower back into the floor (onto your hand)
- Hold 5 seconds then release, repeat 10 times.
Hip bridges: strengthening abdominals and transverse abdominus
- Start in same position: on back, with knees bent at hip-width
- Lift hips until you achieve a straight line between knees and shoulders
- Hold for 5 seconds
- Slowly reverse motion.
- Repeat 5-10 times.
A key way to make your back less vulnerable to injury is to strengthen the core muscles. At your Park Slope Chiropractor, we emphasize core stability to improve spinal longevity. Using simple stretches for short amounts of time every day is a great way to achieve this.
Dr. Karen Thomas, D.C.
Getting the Right Night’s Sleep
When attempting to sleep, most of us follow the same adage: put yourself in the most comfortable position. Unfortunately, not all sleeping postures ar made equal and spending a night in a bad position can lead to poor circulation, neck and back pain, increased tension and headaches. Furthermore, a healthy nights sleep encompasses a whole range of conditions that need to be just right to get you the full refresh.
Improving your sleep conditions could mean chucking out your old, unsupportive mattress and upgrading your pillows, but this is not a financial option for everyone. Here are ways you can immediately improve your sleeping posture to start waking up refreshed rather than refried:
1. Try to avoid sleeping on your stomach. If you must, use a pillow under the stomach to avoid letting your stomach sink into the bed. Changing your sleep position is difficult, as it won’t feel natural at first, but given enough time, you can start sleeping on your side or back with no problems.
2. Use pillows properly: your head should not be resting with your neck cricked up or down. This is a great way to wake up with a stiff neck and a headache. Instead, your pillow should support your head while allowing it to remain parallel with the rest of the spine. Pillows can also be used as props: if you sleep on your back, stick one underneath your knees. You can even use pillows to help you stay in the same sleeping position by propping them behind you or on your sides to prevent you from rolling onto your back in the night.
3. Bed time should be a ritual: treat it as such. Cut out the electronics before bed, as they can suppress melatonin production. Instead, have a bath or wash your face. Gentle stretching is another a great thing to do before bed. A spoon of honey in a sleepytime tea is a great way to relax.
If bad sleep patterns have wrapped a vice around your life, call our office in Brooklyn to get the help you need to fall asleep. Acupuncture and chiropractic are both great at helping you relax, and we can have a serious discussion about what your posture, nutrition and exercise habits that could be holding you back from a restful night’s sleep.
We can be reached at our office in Brooklyn at (718) 398-3100.
Dr. Karen Thomas, D.C.
Posture at the Computer
How do you sit at work? Do you heed conventional wisdom and “sit up straight,” or are you right now leaning toward the screen as you read, with back rounded and the head casting disproportionate pressure on the neck and shoulder muscles, asking them to compensate? Even if you immediately straightened up upon seeing the word posture, chances are you will be slouched down or slumped forward five minutes after you have finished reading. This plays on the tendency of humans toward laziness: sitting is the most conducive position to poor posture.
- Head facing straight forward, centered over the spine. If needs be, adjust the height of your monitor to encourage this position.
- Back straight with buttocks touch the back of the chair and your shoulders back in a relaxed position.
- If possible, place a pillow in the back of the chair to encourage the lordotic curve.
- Weight of torso distributed evenly between the hips (not leaning to one side).
- Legs at 90 degrees or slightly higher.
- Feet rested flat on the floor without too much pressure being pressed through them.
As you work in front of the computer for hours at a time, you are encouraging muscular imbalance and poor curvature. This can leave you with muscle strain, headaches and back pain. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I believe a reminder of good posture is always in order. Try to remind yourself of this position as often as possible, especially when you catch yourself slumping.
For help on posturing throughout the day, call our office in Park Slope at (718) 398-3100
Dr. Karen Thomas, D.C.
Stretch like this Stork…
…Well, maybe not just like it. But it is important to remember to stretch on the go. As you pass through each phase of your daily waking life, it is important to remember to keep your muscles moving so that tension does not accumulate. Tension of the muscles and stress/anxiety are inextricably linked in both directions so managing one will help you manage the other. When it comes to adding more stretching into your life, the key is repetition. Instill the thirst for stretching and your body and brain will reward you.
Those of us who spend significant portions of the day in an office chair are the most at risk for energy stangation, muscle tension and spinal degradation. Fight back against this damaging cycle by setting a timer for the top of every hour and taking a break from the chair to stretch it out: you don’t even have to get up.
Step 1: Shake your shoulders out. Feel how tightly wound you were after 2 hours of intense computer work? This is how much tension immediately leaves your body when you shake your shoulders.
Step 2: Treat your neck to a bit of flexion and extension, moving your chin down toward chest and up toward the sky. Gently move your ears down to each shoulder until you feel a decent stretch in the opposing side of the neck.
Step 3: Reach for the sky with all your might. Clasp your hands together with palms facing outward and extend your arms upward. Repeat this stretch in front of yourself.
Step 4: Place one leg over the other and gently twist your body in the opposing direction.
Together, these stretches take under 3 minutes out of a work hour. The reward in productivity should be enough to convince your boss. The more you can remember to do them, the better the reward. At your Park Slope Chiropractor, we are all about combatting tension. Call our office to find out ways to break the cycles of stagnation that we all inevitably fall victim to.
Dr. Karen Thomas, D.C., L.Ac.