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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.
Tips for a Great Soak
Not all baths are created equal. While the benefits of a hot bath can be felt instantaneously for most back pain sufferers, you can maximize your time in the bath tub with a few simple tips.
- The right water temperature is not as hot as you can handle: warm is better. Too hot can create interference in the nervous system and make it difficult to sleep afterwards.
- Stay cool: keep your head, hands and feet out of the water if possible to shed some of the heat so that you don’t feel fully pruned afterward.
- Stay hydrated:
- Treat yourself: use your bath time to massage tense areas, stretch your shoulders and move your neck.
- Make the bathroom as relaxing as possible: therapeutic oils and bath salts create an atmosphere that eases the mind and soul. The more relaxed you are, the easier you heal.
Baths are a good way to kiss stress good bye and the benefit to the body is undeniable: it is one of the oldest therapeutic techniques in the world. At Community Chiropractic & Acupuncture, we believe that you can harness the power of warm water to achieve measurable improvement in your back’s condition. Call our office in Brooklyn at (718) 398-3100 to schedule an appointment and find out how you can start using your own home to reduce your back pain.
Dr. Karen Thomas, D.C., L.Ac.
Get Wet!
When it comes to exercise, doing it in the water is downright fun. Suspending the downward force of gravity on your body is the most immediate and calming benefit of getting into the water. There are many ways to treat your spine in the pool or at the spa:
Swimming is a holistic activity: a low risk, high reward proposition for strengthening joints and muscles. The buoyant effect of the water provides a gentle resistance but also supports your body as you move purposefully. Swimming exercises muscles that go neglected during running and cycling and because there is no impact or gravitational pull acting on your body, the upside is tremendous.
Water therapy programs are the least physically exhaustive, and provide a variety of healthful benefits. Certain programs can be targeted to specifically treat back pain and improve restricted motion. The actual water therapy course you choose should be specific to your individual condition, which makes it important to have a professional evaluation of your spine beforehand.
Simply soak. Warm water is great for healing joints, relaxing muscles and promoting good blood circulation.
Being buoyant awakens your senses and breaks the monotony of the gravitational pull on your spine. As with the introduction of any new exercise or program for healing the back, it is always worthwhile to have a professional opinion. At Community Chiropractic & Acupuncture, we can provide you with both the knowledge and motivation to get moving for the sake of your spine. Water might be just the ticket for your particular spinal dysfunction, but you can never know until you try it. Call our office in Brooklyn at (718) 398-3100 and schedule an appointment today.
Dr. Karen Thomas, D.C., L.Ac.
Aerobic or Anaerobic Running?
Running: foot in front of foot, in such a manner that, for the slightest instant, both feet are off the ground. A simple enough activity, until you consider what is happening within the body. Often, running is considered a purely aerobic activity, good for the soul, heart lungs and body. But there is a boundary that partitions running as an aerobic and anaerobic activity: at what level does your body stop having enough oxygen to feed all the muscles, allowing them to perform without burning carbohydrates to make up the energy deficit.
Aerobic: Can you talk while you run? At this level, your muscles have enough oxygen to be energy dependent.
Anaerobic: Are you gasping for air? You are running at an unsustainable rate, trying to set a personal record. Your muscles do not have enough energy and are making up for it by burning sugar, and overproducing lactic acid.
Lactic acid: As the body burns sugar, lactic acid accumulates in the body. While lactic acid is not necessarily harmful, a byproduct of the body’s production is hydrogen, which begins to interfere with muscle contraction, causing fatigue. Your body cannot dispel the lactic acid as fast as you are producing it and eventually you will have to reduce your pace or stop altogether.
Many people are unaware that this line exists.. Chiropractic and acucpunture are about optimizing and balancing the body, to ensure you get the most out of every workout. Not only do we provide you with the knowledge of how the body and brain work, but we also help you customize a personal fitness plan that will help you achieve everything you desire.
Chiropractic helps the runner by:
Increasing balance and circulation
Ensuring alignment of the spine
Helping your body drain waste efficiently
Helping you breathe more effectively
Helps muscles grow more efficiently
Call our office in Park Slope at (718) 398-3100 to schedule an appointment today.
Dr. Karen Thomas, D.C., L.Ac.
Prevent Injury from Running
The running bug bites many people who greatly enrich their lives by chasing the “runner’s high” that keeps them running further and further. But for those whose main activity is running, the impact on the legs can be brutal. Running on pavement and other surfaces is hard on the cartilage of the knees, but also the spine. Other factors such as weak orthopedic support, running on slopes, and poor running posture conspire to leave your body weakened, despite the measurable aerobic gain. At your Park Slope Chiropractor, we believe that a wariness of the dangers of running can help you find a balance between running the right amount and overdoing it.
Your spine is constructed in anticipation of living a lifestyle that includes lots of running and heavy exertion. As we age, however, the load our discs and joints can reasonably bear reduces, meaning that prevention becomes more and more important with age.
When hip flexors and hamstring muscles are tight, they tilt your pelvis forward, a position which can create pain in the lumbar and sacral regions of the spine. Running often contributes to herniated discs and degenerative disc disease, which makes it all the more important to get screened for these conditions to ensure that you are not exacerbating an underlying, preexisting condition.
Here are other ways chiropractic helps the runner stay on track:
- Stronger muscles
- Better range of motion,
- Improved coordination, nervous system regulation
Running is the ultimate repetitive stressor. Keep the balance of health in your favor by calling our office in Brooklyn at (718) 398-3100 to schedule an appointment.
Dr. Karen Thomas, D.C., L.Ac.
Promote Spinal Balance with a Walk
Walking your way to a more healthy life is not as far-fetched as it might feel. During a busy workweek, it is easy to get stuck in a routine that looks, at its most abstracted form, like: waking up àcommuting à working à relaxing on the couch à and back to bed, with allowances for eating. Often there is not enough time or motivation to make it to the gym; this is where a quick walk can rescue your spine on a lazy night. Taking 30 minutes out of an evening and dedicating them to a walk makes all the difference in the world: it gets your joints moving, muscles and bones strengthening, and circulation flowing. For people with back pain, the boon can be even greater. Here are some of the cut and dried benefits of a walk:
- Reduces back pain: mild endorphin release helps manage pain.
- Helps manage weight: body weight is the number one factor that burdens adult spines.
- Increases range of motion: by allowing the spinal joints to move, simultaneously making you more resistant to injury.
- Improves circulation: possibly the property that helps the most people. Walking allows your blood to get flowing throughout the entire body, bringing oxygen and nutrients to cells who have been suffering from stagnation on the couch.
Finding the time or initiating the desire to walk daily is often difficult when you are at the mercy of life’s many engagements. At Community Chiropractic & Acupuncture of Park Slope, we can help you make minor lifestyle adjustments that will compliment our chiropractic and acupuncture treatments on the path to achieving any health goal you have set for yourself. Call our office in Brooklyn at (718) 398-3100 to schedule an appointment today.
Dr. Karen Thomas, D.C., L.Ac.
Acupuncture for Fitness (Part 2)
The benefits of acupuncture seem to be almost as far-reaching as the time it has endured as a healing procedure. For fitness fanatics, acupuncture has a wealth of benefits. By boosting your psychological well-being, you will perform better in the gym. After just one session, people experience reduced stress and anxiety, catharsis and general sense of well-being. In fact, the more you work out the more you can get out of acupuncture. Here are some of the other benefits:
- Muscle and joint injury rehabilitation: re-oxygenating tissues, reducing inflammation.
- Improved stamina: improving circulation generally means you will see a boost in your energy at the gym.
- Weight loss: curbing hunger, improving digestive efficiency and allowing the body to burn more fat.
- Muscle relaxation: provides a way for your muscles to recover and grow in the wake of exertion.
Acupuncture is an integral piece of our holistic approach to health at Community Chiropractic & Acupuncture of Park Slope. No one piece will be the magic ingredient by itself; instead, we would like to put all of our modalities at your disposal as part of a healthy lifestyle. No matter what your affliction or idea for self-improvement, we have tools to help. Call our office in Park Slope at (718) 398-3100
Dr. Karen Thomas, D.C., L.Ac.
Acupuncture for Fitness
Muscle and joint pain is a regular side-occurrence of athletic performance. This pain could begin as a byproduct of aging, derive from a genetic inheritance or result from a direct injury; no athlete wants to be sidelined by a limited muscle or joint. Acupuncture is a direct and natural method that gets to the root of the injury: thin needles are strategically entered along anatomical pathways of the body, creating micro-wounds that the body is quick to heal. In the process, the body focuses on healing the surrounding area by reducing inflammation and re-oxygenating the tissue. The endorphins that are naturally released help control pain and regulate the nervous system.
At Community Chiropractic & Acupuncture, we know that the body relies on a balance between exertion and rest to grow effectively. A key pathway to injury is by over exerting yourself without the proper rest or nutrition. If you have overdone yourself, acupuncture is a great therapy for speeding the recovery of torn muscles or worn down joints. The body’s natural healing ability is boosted by acupuncture needling because it promotes circulation and blood flow.
For athletes of all ages looking to maximize their physical potential, acupuncture offers an advantage that is too good to ignore. If you are interested in finding out more about the potential of acupuncture for your athletic routine, call our office in Park Slope at (718) 398-3100 to schedule an appointment today.
Dr. Karen Thomas, D.C.