Chiropractic Care Can Help Produce Higher Quality Sleep

Insomnia is reported to affect between 40% and 60% of the American population at some point or another in their lives. In many cases, insomnia is linked to daily stresses of life and the general chaos of family, friends, work, and medical conditions. Since sleep is a vital part of good physical and mental health, you should not take your sleepless nights too lightly.

Aches & Pains Prevent Good Sleep

Another reason people are not sleeping properly is because their body suffers from minor but chronic aches and pains. This can make it uncomfortable to sleep especially when our beds and bed pillows are of poor quality. It many cases, the daily aches and pains can be relieved without using prescriptions or other strategies that can be harmful to your health in general.

It is preferred that you utilize other methods for perfecting sleep and relieving what ails you. Chiropractic treatment is one way to address issues concerning chronic pains. Consult with the chiropractor who can review your symptoms and treat problems you are having in relation to your horrible sleep patterns.

In addition to chiropractic care, it is important to also take better care of you overall health to promote better quality sleep. Here are some suggestions for improving sleep:

Get Exercising

Exercise should be integrated into your life no matter how accustomed you are to the habit. Daily walks, aerobics, swimming, jumping rope, and yoga are all great methods to start with to ensure you get your body moving. If you are having trouble sleeping, be sure to exercise in the morning rather than right before bed.

Limit Caffeine

Caffeine affects people in different ways but it can lead to you staying away and sleeping restlessly. Be sure to limit your intake of drinks that contain caffeine including coffee, tea, and soft drinks. Trade those beverages in for more water to keep your body hydrated throughout the day and help to ease your mind at night.

Eat Before 6:00pm

If you tend to eat late at night,  your body will be digesting food as you try to relax and fall asleep. Not only is late-night eating bad for your weight, it can also keep you tossing and turning during the night.

Get Comfortable

When you get your room ready for bedtime, be sure to turn down the lights and keep the room set at a cool temperature to promote a more comfortable sleep. It can help to hang dark curtains that prevent sunlight from interrupting your sleep when morning comes. Do something relaxing before bed like reading. Watching television can stimulate the mind too much to promote a good sleep. It also helps to invest in a mattress that offers full support for your body and is not too soft or too firm. You should turn your mattress a few times a year so it gets even wear. A good pillow that supports your neck and head and allows your body to remain properly aligned is also a good investment.

Set a Routine

It is important to establish a routine for your sleep each night. Start going to bed at the same time each night and arising at the same time each morning. Your body will begin to adapt to the time table and will eventually learn when it is time to get some sleep.

The better sleep you get at night, the better you’ll feel every morning. If insomnia persists or you suspect other medical conditions are causing your sleepless night, be sure to see your family physician for further diagnosis.

Your Tulsa Chiropractor,

Dr. Ryan Marshall, D.C.

www.MarshallChiropractic.com

Shopping can wreak havoc on your body, especially when the stress of the holidays add extra problems for your health and welfare. Pounding the pavement looking for the ideal gifts can do a number on your back, knees, and your overall body structure. In order to prevent a total body breakdown after the holidays have gone, here are some tips to keep in mind when you hit the malls and deck the halls:

Bring Water

You can easily get dehydrated running from store to store and filling up on food court sodas. Bring a bottle of water and drink it. You should be getting up to ten 8-ounce glasses of water every day and even more when you are out shopping for several hours at a time.

Wear Proper Footwear

All that walking you’ll be doing requires the right protection. Be sure to wear cushioned, comfortable shoes or invest in some quality walking sneakers for the occasion. Proper footwear will help absorb the impact walking on cement floors and asphalt for long periods of time.

Wear Comfortable, Breathable Clothing

It may be chilly outside but inside a congested mall, things can get heated. Dress in layers so you can remove clothing as you get warm. Many shopping locations will offer coat check services or you can throw your extra clothing in your shopping cart so you do not become overheated. Don’t wear tight clothing that can cut off proper circulation.

Pack Light

You should avoid lugging around a lot of weight. Start by leaving your bulky purse at home. Instead, bring along a small backpack that can hold your water, healthy snacks, your wallet, and your cell phone. Use shopping carts to carry your heavy bags and make frequent trips to your vehicle to unload packages. Your body will wear out quickly if you lug around heavy bags all day and your energy will be zapped sooner than you’d like.

Take Breaks

While it may appear everyone is in a go, go, go mentality, it is crucial that you listen to your own body and take frequent breaks to rest. Be sure to eat a light healthy snack often to keep your energy levels up. Avoid caffeine and the other high calorie treats that may be tempting you. You can rest every hour or more often as you feel is necessary.

Take a Load Off Afterwards

When you get home from the mall and unload your purchases, be sure to take some time to stretch out and relax. Decompressing after a long day of walking and dealing with the public is necessary to relax your muscles and avoid potential injuries to your tired, tight muscles. A nice warm shower or bath can help you find relaxation. If you feel pain anywhere, alternate ice packs and heat to relieve muscle strains.

Remember that stress and the chaos of the holidays can take a toll on your health. If you are feeling run down and are unable to relax after a business time, you should consult with our office about the various services we offer to help you feel better and face the new year ahead.

Your Tulsa Chiropractor,

Dr. Ryan Marshall, DC

www.MarshallChiropractic.com

Do you suffer from fibromyalgia? Have you tried a variety of traditional treatments and medications and found that nothing really helps to relieve your symptoms? Did you know that chiropractic care may be the answer to improving your symptoms including relieving your pain? Many individuals who suffer from fibromyalgia find that chiropractic care greatly improves their quality of life.

What Is Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a severe condition that can cause a variety of symptoms in individuals who are affected by the disease including severe pain, tenderness in your muscles, joints and tendons, stiffness, fatigue, anxiety, depression, difficulty sleeping and more. The cause of fibromyalgia puzzles the medical community and to this date there is no known cause and no definitive treatment. More women than men are affected by the disease.

What Is Chiropractic Treatment

Chiropractic care is an alternative treatment that has been used for centuries to help people with a variety of ailments. While chiropractic care is most often talked about as helping individuals with back pain, chiropractic care can really help to “heal” much more than a sore back. Chiropractic care is based on the idea that when the body gets out of alignment the entire central nervous system is affected and the body cannot function properly. Chiropractic care works to correct these imbalances through a variety of techniques including spinal manipulation, stretching, therapeutic ultrasound, massage and more.

How Can Chiropractic Care Help Relieve Fibromyalgia Symptoms

Fibromyalgia sufferers can have a variety of symptoms that chiropractic care can help relieve including:

• Back pain
• Leg pain or leg cramps
• Joint pain
• Neck pain

Chiropractic care can help re align the spine through spinal manipulations. Once the spine has been re aligned the joints are able to move more freely and very often patients report a reduction in pain.

How Often Will I Need To See A Chiropractor

If you have fibromyalgia and decide to visit a chiropractor you should plan on making frequent visits, at least in the beginning. When you have your first appointment your chiropractor will take your medical history, usually perform a non invasive exam to check out your alignment, possibly take x-rays and he/she may even perform your first treatment. While some patients will notice improvements after just one visit, for others it may take multiple treatments before any noticeable improvements. At the time of your first visit you and your chiropractor will decide on a treatment plan together. Most often this will consist of multiple visits each week in the beginning. Once you begin to improve, visits can usually become less frequent.

What Results Have Other Fibromyalgia Patients Experienced?

While not all fibromyalgia patients will experience relief from chiropractic care, a great many do. Many individuals who seek chiropractic treatment report that the first thing noticed was a decrease in pain.  As treatment continues patients often will notice an improvement in other symptoms as well, including fatigue, the ability to sleep better and more.

What Else Can I Expect When I Visit A Chiropractor

While some chiropractors focus just on typical chiropractic treatment including spinal manipulation, many offer a variety of other healthy living services that may also benefit those suffering from fibromyalgia. Most chiropractors take a full body healing approach in their practices and may offer nutritional advice, massage therapy, dietary supplements, acupuncture, help with exercise and more.

 Your Tulsa Chiropractor,

Dr. Ryan Marshall, D.C.

www.MarshallChiropractic.com

More and more people today than ever before are turning to chiropractic care to help with a variety of health issues. In fact, chiropractic care is fast becoming the first choice of many who suffer from back and neck pain. What many people don’t realize is that chiropractic care can actually be used to treat numerous pains and aliments in addition to back pain. If you are suffering from shoulder pain, chiropractic care can help.

What Causes Shoulder Pain

Shoulder pain is very common and can be due to a number of reasons, all of which chiropractic care can help. Common causes of shoulder pain include the following:

• Pain from the neck that radiates into the shoulder.
• Pain from a rotator cuff strain or tear.
• Irritated nerves in the neck or shoulder.
• An over use injury.
• Pain related to every day activity.

What To Expect On Your First Chiropractor Visit

When you first visit a chiropractor for shoulder pain they will do an intake evaluation that will assist them in developing a plan of care. The Doctor will take the time to discuss with you the history of your shoulder pain, when it first began, how extreme the pain is, how it affects your everyday life, whether or not your pain was caused by an injury, what your everyday activities are and more. The Chiropractor may also ask for a full family health history.

Once intake is complete, the Chiropractor may ask you to get xrays or an MRI so that they can take a look for aliments like out of place joints, fractures and more. They most likely then will do an exam and may start treatment right at your first appointment.  

How Chiropractor Care Can Help

Chiropractic care is most often an integrated treatment plan that looks beyond just the pain to find the route cause. Lifestyle is very often examined and a treatment plan very often consists of spinal manipulations along with other healthy lifestyle changes.

Manipulations can help to relieve pressure that is causing the pain. When the chiropractor performs a spinal manipulation they reposition the vertebrae, restore alignment and additionally improve mobility. Prior to the adjustment your treatment may also include electrical stimulation, heat, traction and more.

How Long Does Treatment Last

When you first start out your treatment plan you may need to make multiple visits each week to the chiropractor. Eventually as you begin to heal, treatments are spread further apart until you can reach a maintenance level that may be once or twice a month. It is highly recommended that you continue with a maintenance schedule even when you are completely healed in order to keep your vertebrae in line and help prevent further pain and injuries.

How Additional Alternative Treatments Can Help

Finally, the chiropractor may add to your plan of care additional alternative treatments. They may provide you with exercises, stretches and strength training moves to do a home. You may also need to use hot or cold compresses on the injured area. They may also recommend massage or other alternative therapies to help your shoulder heal.  Rest from activities that may have caused the pain will most likely be recommended.  Additionally, they may recommend lifestyle changes along with supplements that can help in healing your shoulder.

Your Tulsa Chiropractor,

Dr. Ryan Marshall, D.C.

www.MarshallChiropractic.com