The chiropractor Brooklyn Blog at Community Chiropractic & Acupuncture located in Park Slope, Brooklyn 11215, was started to let you know how we apply both Eastern and Western medical theory to establish a diagnosis and treatment plan designed specifically for each patient.
Furthermore, our goal is to help our patients enjoy an optimal quality of life with improved physical health, mental well-being, and a sense of spiritual tranquility.
Take a look at some of our health tips below in our chiropractor Brooklyn blog for information about improving your life.
The holiday season in New York City
A wonderful, magical and, let’s be honest, stressful time of the year. While the city feels alive with holiday cheer, the added hustle of holiday shopping in the cold weather and the general bustle of commercialism and human traffic begins to weigh on us. Let’s face it, as New Yorkers, we are among the busiest people on earth to begin with- when you up the ante by adding in countless holiday events, baking parties, and dinners galore, the stress level ratchets up. This holiday season, acupuncture is your holiday ally in the quest to keep stress down and holiday spirit at an all time high.
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How have you been taking advantage of the holiday season?
We hope you have been able to enjoy the change of season by doing what you love. Whether it means spending more time with family, catching up on chores or projects around the house, or simply veging out on the couch, we want to check in and make sure you are taking care of your body. More than likely, many of us are still plugging away at work, pulling long hours in the office, workshop and restaurant in anticipation of a few days of hard-earned rest. Whatever the case, all of the above activities contribute to muscle stiffness, for which the most effective relief is stretching and exercise. But. Then we come home and find that our muscles are sore, which can make relaxing difficult. At Community Chiropractic and Acupuncture, we believe in using natural modalities to help your muscles recover quicker.
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Mechanical back pain is a drag for athletes in our community
Mechanical back pain refers to pain or dysfunction affecting the spine. Whether it be a problem with the vertebrae, spinal joints, supporting musculature, or spinal nerves, the spine is an interconnected and essential structure with many opportunites for dysfunction. What all athletes come to realize is that the health of the spine is essential for performing well; no athlete suffering from mechanical back pain can be said to be performing at their highest level.
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Chronic pain is down to the brain When you have been experiencing pain for more than 6 months without cessation, you know that your condition is deeper than the acute effects of an injury. Most doctors agree that chronic pain has a neuropathic element; much of the pain is perceived through a misfiring nervous system. When nerves in the spine are impeded or otherwise not functioning correctly, they begin to…
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A multi-disciplinary approach to rehabilitating sports injuries
At our office in Park Slope, we believe that a multi-faceted approach to rehabilitating sports injuries gives you the best chance of returning to your sport stronger and better than ever. No single approach alone offers the full-range of benefits that can be reaped by combining it with other therapies. At Community Chiropractic and Acupuncture of Park Slope, we offer athletes a combination of chiropractic and acupuncture healing modalities to effect a full recovery and prevent reinjury.
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Lack of blood flow hampers athletic performance
You have provided your body with all the nutrients it needs by paying attention to your diet; now you need to move those nutrients to places where they matter. One of the biggest problems facing athletes is lack of blood flow to the muscles- a circulation problem that prevents your muscles from getting the oxygen and nutrients they need to perform. This has two negative effects; first, it effects efficiency while you workout; second, it prevents your muscles from rebuilding efficiently post-workout.
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Pharmaceutical treatments for anxiety and depression are rife with side effects and carry high risks for dependency
Benzodiazepines such as Xanax and Valium treat anxiety and depression symptoms by slowing down the signalling of the nervous system leading to a calming, sedative effect. The potency of the drug allowed it to become prescribed for everything from panic attacks to sleep problems; benzodiazepines are now widely prescribed for alcohol withdrawal, muscle tension related to the central nervous system and epilepsy. But concerns about overuse, sustained use, dependence and side effects have fought their way to the fore as benzodiazepines have been linked with deaths from overdose. Other side effects include:
- Drowsiness
- Headaches
- Paranoia
- Irritability
- Personality changes
Interestingly, studies have shown that benzodiazepines can actually interfere with normal sleep patterns and long-term use has been associated with furthering symptoms of depression. As with all prescribed medications, it is important to realize that these are powerful drugs that come with a long list of side effects and a potential for dependency.
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Intense physical exercise lowers the body’s immunity
Every athlete is treading on a fine line- the harder you push yourself, the more vulnerable your body becomes to the effects of fatigue. From upper respiratory illness, to muscle injury and back pain, the body’s ability to fight off malefactors is lowered in the period of time immediately following exercise. The traditional response is to combine diet, stretching and rest to help the body restore itself so that you can challenge it anew. However, there is a breaking point that every athlete can reach in which the body’s immunity is overwhelmed. Acupuncture has been shown time and again to be an effective treatment for increasing immunity in the immediate aftermath of exercise.
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Trigger points are sensitive areas in the soft tissues that cause pain and dysfunction
Pain then radiates from this point throughout the surrounding soft tisse, causing myofascial pain and muscular dysfunction. Often this pain is referred to other parts of the body, even disparate parts which may seem entirely unconnected to the epicenter, which means that a physical examination is necessary to determine the origin of the pain. There are two types of trigger points: latent and active. It may surprise you to learn that we are often walking around with several latent trigger points; it is only when they become active that they start to cause pain and dysfunction. Trigger points in athletes most often occur in the following muscles:
- Gluteals
- Levator scapulae
- Gastrocnemius
- Upper trapezius
Because they cause pain in other parts of the body, a primary goal of our practic at Community Chiropracitc & Acupuncture is to locate and deactivate trigger points using acupuncture. How does this work? Read on.
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Acupuncture is an athlete’s aid
Even though acupuncture has been around for millenia, its practical applications are more relevant than ever. As sports medicine evolves, it is starting to incorporate more of the tenets of Traditional Chinese Medicine philosophy into its arsenal, chiefly the ideas of injury prevention, balance of the body and mind, and natural healing. At Community Chiropractic & Acupuncture of Park Slope, we combine Western knowledge of the musculoskeletal system with the healing philosophy of acupuncture to keep athletes ahead of the game.
Read MoreMoreover, at Community Chiropractic & Acupuncture we are committed to providing individualized and compassionate patient care.
Dr. Karen Thomas founded the practice over 30 years ago with the express purpose of providing leading-edge healthcare to the Park Slope community.
As a result, the practice has grown considerably since then, and moved from its original location at Lincoln Place and Sixth Avenue to Eighth Avenue at Union Street, to its present location at 182 8th Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11215
We want you to know that we are prepared for you.
Furthermore, for the protection of our customers and our employees, we’ve followed the guidance of the W.H.O. and the I.C.C. and their directions to business owners.
Additionally, we have disinfected all surfaces and implemented recommended strategies to keep safe distances between all customers and employees to prevent any transmission.
In conclusion, our team is on top of the most current information available to businesses.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions about your health at 718-398-3100
We all speak English and...
Dr. Gabe is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese
Dr. Thomas speaks some Spanish but is not fluent
Yolanda, our office manager is fluent in Spanish
Steve, our front office assistant speaks some Chinese but is not fluent
Sofia, our medical biller is fluent in Russian