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Farming Chiropractic Care

Are You as Tough as a Farmer?

Why chiropractic care is a great health care option for farmers

Farming is a hard job, but we at Creekside Chiropractic have got your back, sometimes very literally. Almost every farming job, regardless of the product, comes with its fair share of physical labor. Although modern technology has blessed us with advanced farm machinery and equipment, the health and wellness of your body is still crucial to being able to do your job well and without pain. But fear not, we know how to help you and your body get back into peak working condition and even prevent further pain and injury. If you’re in the farming industry and haven’t considered chiropractic care for your physical wellbeing, here is why we think you should.

What is chiropractic care?

Before we try to convince you that chiro can change your life for the better, you might be wondering, what is chiropractic medicine anyways? Chiropractic care, also known as just chiro, is a very versatile type of medical care that is hands-on and addresses pain without using any medications. Doctors, like our very own Dr. Erin Merrill, are certified to use their hands and special instruments to manipulate joints in your body which, if out of place, can cause you significant pain and stress in your life. Chiro is a great tool for people experiencing back, shoulder and neck pain, but it can be applied to many different kinds of pain throughout the body and has benefits that positively affect overall health as well.  

Farming back pain? You’re not alone. 

If you suffer from chronic or even occasional back pain, you are far from alone. According to a report in the National Agriculture Safety Database, 26% of farmers and ranchers deal with chronic back pain, and that number is likely low. Some types of farming place a much bigger strain on the back, which could lead to more serious injuries like herniated and bulging discs and degenerative disc disease. Don’t worry though, because a chiropractor can help with those issues too. Most of the pain relief in chiropractic medicine for the back specifically comes from the realignment of the spine. The doctor will use pressure and massage techniques to get everything back into place and will also give you recommendations on how to avoid further pain. 

Arthritis pain relief with chiro

The back and neck are common places for those working in the farming industry to experience pain, but manual labor affects the entire body and affects everyone differently. The good news is chiropractic care can also help alleviate pain in the elbows, knees, hips and even arthritic pain. There are actually over “150 techniques that chiropractors use to manually adjust the spine, joints, and muscles,” and not all of them use the intense pressure or popping of bones and joints that you might have seen dramatically done by a chiropractor on social media. If you are dealing with arthritic pain, your doctor can gently manipulate your soft tissue to help stop muscle spasms and relieve joint tenderness. They also may recommend exercises and stretches that can help increase range of motion and decrease chronic pain. If this all sounds too good to be true, we promise you it is not!

Beyond the physical pain of farming

Beyond needing treatment for specific areas of pain, chiropractic care is also great for maintaining your overall health and wellbeing, including your mental health. Chiro has repeatedly been proven to help with headaches and migraines, especially if they are being caused by tension in the neck. Relieving neck tension, whether you knew you had it or not, can also help improve your quality of sleep and range of motion. If you are struggling with physical pain and maintaining your mental health, chiropractic care can be a great way to help improve both at the same time. That being said, if you feel you are going through a severe mental health crisis, we encourage you to reach out to a mental health professional specifically. If you are just looking to improve your overall well-being though, realigning the spine can actually help neurotransmitters travel to parts of the body that had been blocked off while the spine was out of place. Restoring these nerve pathways can lead to greater mental clarity and mental health without the use of medications. 

We at Creekside Chiropractic are so grateful for everything farmers do for our community and nation and we know that your work comes with its own unique set of physical challenges. We hope that if you are experiencing physical pain that is holding you back from doing your best work, you consider working with a chiropractic practice. We are here to help you live your best pain-free life.

Schedule your first chiropractic appointment online today!

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Protect your Back While Working from Home

Well, here we are again. More and more businesses and schools are moving to either a fulltime or hybrid model for working from home. We’ve been there already. Some of us have been there since March. And a lot of us are feeling the strain, wondering if winter snow days will make this an even more regular occurrence.

While we’d never suggest changing out of your comfy clothes while working from home, we do have some tips for keeping your spine in check while adjusting to this new(ish) environment. It might be tempting to grab the laptop and curl up on the couch for the day’s work. It does seem to be the most comfortable option. But it could actually do more damage to your spinal alignment. Instead, Dr. Erin suggests working toward setting up a dedicated work space in your home with the following tips.

Tips for Protecting your Back While Working from Home:

Lumbar Support

Investing in a good quality office chair with lumbar support is ideal, but not always realistic, especially if multiple family members are working from home. Instead, you can use a small pillow or roll a towel and place it between your lower back and the chair to increase comfort and support your spinal alignment.

Check Those Elbows

With your shoulders relaxed, your elbows should be at 90 degrees to your workstation.

Laptop Placement

It seems counterintuitive, but if using a laptop, avoid working with it on your lap for long stretches of time. Instead, place your computer on a stand or pile of books, and if possible, use a separate keyboard and mouse to ensure they’re also at the correct height.

Set The Right Height

Set your computer station so that the top third of your screen is at eye level to ensure that your upper body is not hunched over.

Get Moving

Moving is just as important as the way you sit. Make sure you and the kids are getting up every half hour or so to stretch, walk around a bit and generally shake out the cobwebs.

 

Of course, even with the best workstation, a change in environment and an increased sedentary lifestyle can still leave your spine a bit out of whack. So make sure to keep up with your regular chiropractic adjustments and feel free to contact us for more tips and information.

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Understanding Infrared Saunas

What’s the Hype with Infrared Saunas?

Saunas and other heat therapies have been a part of maintaining health in many cultures for thousands of years. But when people typically think of saunas, they envision a steam room of sorts that creates a hot, sweaty experience. While these types of saunas are still popular, we’d like to introduce you to the newer guy in town… the infrared sauna.

Unlike your traditional steam room experience, the infrared sauna emits infrared light that is absorbed by the surface of the skin, heating the body directly and causing a rise in core temperature rather than overheating the room. This results in a deep, relaxing and detoxifying sweat.

What are the Benefits of Infrared Saunas Combined with Chiropractic Care?

1) Detoxification – As chiropractic therapy works to improve full body wellness, sweating is the body’s safest and most natural way to release toxins.

2) Relaxation and General Wellbeing – We know that Chiropractic Therapy can Help with Stress, Anxiety and Depression. But, researchers from Nishi Kyusyu University in Japan found that the relaxing benefits of heat treatment, such as infrared sauna, could actually work better when combined with other holistic treatments such as chiropractic adjustments, therapeutic massages and mental health counseling.

3) Treating Chronic Health Conditions – Chiropractic care works to bring the body into alignment so it can operate at its peak. By coupling that care with infrared sauna therapy, one can add an additional layer of attack against conditions such as high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, headache, type 2 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis, according to the Mayo Clinic.

4) Weight Loss – As the body works to cool itself, there is a substantial increase in heart rate, cardiac output and metabolic rate, causing the body to burn more calories, while providing the mental clarity one gains from a mild workout.

5) Pain Relief – Infrared sauna therapy works by penetrating tissue, joints, and muscles to increase circulation and decrease inflammation. Therefore, pain management professionals often rely on infrared sauna therapy to relieve anything from minor aches and pains to muscle spasms and chronic pain conditions.

Aside from being one of the safest and most effective healing methods, the benefits of infrared therapy can be felt in as little as 15-20 minutes, with little to no side effects. To learn more, contact us today or ask at your next visit to see how your wellness plan can be improved with infrared sauna therapy.

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Bad footwear can cause back pain

Spine Stress and Fashionable Shoes

Ladies we know shoes are sometimes EVERYTHING when trying to complete an outfit just right. Moreover, with the most sought-after flats, wedges, heels and boots just a click away on online outlets like justfab.com, it’s hard to think any cute shoe or boot might be the wrong footwear, right?!

But, indeed, the wrong shoe can be a nightmare for your spine. If your shoes aren’t properly supporting your spine, undue stress may be placed on your back. This is particularly true for people who must stand for long periods of time on a regular basis, but even a short amount of time in the wrong shoes can cause stress and pain to your vertebrae and the soft tissues that support them. Read more

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Good nights sleep

Back Pain? How’s Your Mattress?

How Did You Sleep Last Night?

Got Back Pain?

 

A quality mattress can make all the difference between getting great sleep and so-so sleep. If you don’t sleep on a mattress that offers adequate support, you may experience persistent low back pain. It’s a subject that often comes up with our clients. Along the lines of the Mastercard commercials, for most of us, a good night’s sleep is priceless.

Too Firm, Too Soft or Just Right

When searching for a new mattress, you want to ensure that it supports the natural curves and alignment of the spine. It’s a good idea to lie on different mattresses that offer varying degrees of support. Comfort, after all, is critical, but equally important is good support.

A too-firm mattress may result in aches and pains on pressure points. A medium-firm mattress is often a best bet for essential comfort as well as sufficient back and spine support. Memory foam mattress are a nice option as well, as they offer great support and can help prevent and reduce pain.

Regular Chiropractic Checks

Seeing your chiropractor for regular chiropractic checks is another excellent way to relieve back pain and enhance your sleep!

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