Dr. Todd’s Recommendations for At-Home Maintenance
We are asked the question all the time, “is there anything I can do at home?”
YES, there is a lot you can do to enhance your healing and improve your function around the clock!
We encounter biomechanical challenges everyday in our lives. From the shoes we wear, to the way we sleep, to how we walk, sit and stand. These stresses can result in chronic issues that develop over time, or injuries that seem to happen all of a sudden, but many times are due to underlying imbalances that leave us more vulnerable to injury.
When you get regular chiropractic adjustments and therapeutic treatments it relieves pain and helps retrain the body to better function over time, bringing you back into balance. Consistent adjustments release stuck joints, open up nerve flow, and increase hydration, which leave you feeling and functioning better. But then we go back into our lives to long standing habits and stresses that caused the pain and dysfunction in the first place. What if you, in addition to your adjustments and treatments, added 24/7 support back at home and at work? We will tell you, it makes a huge difference! The more you engage in corrective practices in between office visits, the more benefits you will experience from your chiropractic care, and the more stable and resilient you will become!
Here are a list of products and practices that can provide you with 24/7 support
Put the curve back in your neck with a Therapeutic Pillow
Think about it – you spend ⅓ of your life sleeping on a pillow! That can either be a curse or a blessing depending if the style and size of the pillow is right for your specific neck. The correct pillow will help put the curve back in your neck that is essential for normal function and help you hold your cervical/neck adjustments between visits. We offer therapeutic pillows which are specifically designed to help keep the spine in alignment while you sleep. We carry multiple styles and sizes to meet individual needs.
Remember, avoid sleeping on your stomach! This puts severe torque on the cervical spine which decreases range of motion in the rest of your spine as it tries to compensate for the torque, resulting in an increase in tightness, spasms and discomfort. It’s important to get the right pillow that allows you to sleep comfortably on your back or side.
Contact the front desk to schedule a consult with Dr Todd if you don’t already have a therapeutic pillow
Support Stabilization with Custom Orthotics
When we talk about posture, most people think of their mom saying “stand up straight”, but it is so much more. Posture is not static, it’s dynamic! Your posture determines how effectively you move through the physical world and to what degree you are able to adapt to both small and large physical challenges in your daily life. If your feet, your body’s foundation, are out of balance, it creates abnormal loading and unnecessary stress throughout the body, undermining your posture and your ability to effectively move without causing structural degeneration.
There are three arches in the foot, all of which are critically important. The arches give the foot the necessary strength to support the body in the most balanced fashion. It is common for our arches to fall due to gravity, aging, and the incredible amount of stress we put on our feet during our lifetime. In addition most people also have an imbalance between their right and left feet. Even the slightest imbalance will trigger compensatory effects all the way up the structure. This is why we recommend Foot Levelers Stabilizing Orthotics to maintain the structure and balance of the entire body.
We offer Foot Levelers Stabilizing Orthotic 3D Digital Scans, free of charge to our patients. Contact the front desk to schedule an orthotics consult with Dr. Todd!
Give your lower back the time to heal with an SI Belt
One of the biggest challenges when you have lower back issues is that it’s difficult to rest long enough to heal. Using an SI belt creates an external ligament that takes pressure off the lower back and sacroiliac joints, giving your back the opportunity to recover. Anyone with lower back pain can be helped by using an SI belt.
SI belts are especially effective for mothers. The birth process can trigger sacral issues, and the addition of carrying babies and toddlers in your arms can wreak havoc on your SI joints. An SI belt can provide enormous relief and support for mothers!
We sell the Serola Belt by Serola Biomechanics in our office. Contact the front desk for more information and to schedule an SI belt consult with Dr. Todd!
Reduce inflammation with icing
Why use ice for injuries, aches and pains? Because It decreases blood flow which minimizes tissue congestion and reduces inflammation. An excess of inflammation will prevent healing. Timeliness in application of ice to the injured area has a major impact on healing time. Follow this protocol when you are injured or feel soreness:
Apply a gel ice pack or crushed ice in a plastic bag directly to the affected area (over clothing) for 15-20 minutes. You will go through 3 stages of sensation: COLD – NUMBNESS – TINGLING. Remove the ice pack and leave off for one hour. Repeat protocol as many times a day as possible for maximum results!
Develop resilience through stabilizing and strengthening exercises
We have foam rollers and stick rollers available for purchase at the office which are excellent for relieving muscle tightness and soreness. Dr. Todd will prescribe a custom Rx of therapeutic exercises for your specific situation so that you can support your recovery, stabilization and strengthening between appointments.
And remember, when you are in for an appointment, after checking in and getting a room assigned, head right to the wobble chair (there is one in each treatment room) which is a specially designed seat that provides 360° of rotation, 40° of side to side flexion and 35° of front to back flexion to facilitate all possible combinations of exercise motion needed for lumbar disc mobility, re-hydration, nutrition delivery, and waste elimination.
Prevent aches, pains and injuries while working at home or in the office
It is worth revisiting our blog post on Ergonomic Home Office Recommendations to help you prevent aches, pains, and injuries while working. Find out our recommendations on stand-up desks, ergonomic office chairs and more!