Displaying items by tag: back pain

Whether you work in a high-rise mega-corporation or you’re on the ground floor of a local start-up, working in downtown Denver can be stressful. Workplace stress is not often left at the office, either, so it’s something you want to nip in the bud early before it starts to negatively impact the rest of your life. One way to manage and event prevent workplace stress is with acupuncture in downtown Denver. Learn about the benefits acupuncture has to offer here.

What Does Stress Do To Your Body?

Stress, in and of itself, is a good thing. It helps us react to threats quickly and preserve ourselves when presented with a potentially dangerous situation. It does this by putting your central nervous system on high alert, increasing heart and breathing rates while increasing blood flow to your muscles. This becomes a problem when your central nervous system doesn’t stop firing after the threat has been contained.

Unfortunately, the “threats” in our everyday lives can’t always be mitigated in a timely manner. In these cases, you have to find alternative methods to relax your central nervous system when you are faced with ongoing stressors. This is where acupuncture in downtown Denver can come in.

The Benefits Of Acupuncture In Downtown Denver

The negative side effects of stress are far and wide. Ongoing and unmanaged stress can wreak havoc on your body, leading to headaches, pain, physical and mental strain, a compromised immune system, digestive problems, and so much more. Scientific studies have shown the positive impacts that acupuncture can have on stress. Managing your stress with acupuncture in downtown Denver offers more benefits than just stress relief.

Reduced Pain And Tension

Whether you work at a desk all day long or you perform manual labor for hours on end, many jobs take a physical toll on your body. Regular acupuncture in downtown Denver can aid in reducing swelling and inflammation throughout the body, providing a drug-free way to achieve pain reduction and relief.

Headache Relief

One of the most common indicators of stress is constant headaches or migraines. If you are suffering from headaches on a regular basis and your over-the-counter pain relievers can’t seem to do the trick, it’s time to consider the source of your headaches. Acupuncture has been proven to reduce the number of days patients experience migraines in a given time period by treating the cause of the headaches, rather than the result.

Boost Your Immune System

When you are stressed and working long hours, one of the first things to go is self-care. You often stop eating as well as you should, exercising on a regular basis, and getting enough sleep. On top of that, your central nervous system is severely overworked when you face ongoing stress, further compromising your immune system and making you more prone to illness or infection. If you have to miss work or are moving more slowly than usual, you become even more stressed and the cycle repeats itself. Acupuncture in downtown Denver can be easily incorporated into your regular routine and help you get ahead of illness or infection by fighting off the pathogens that cause them.

Streamline Your Digestion

Your digestive health is closely linked to every other part of your body. Most shortcomings in your overall health can be linked back to a problem in your gut. Because that is where the majority of your good bacteria resides, it is important to keep your digestion in check to prevent more serious illnesses. Acupuncture can help you regulate your digestive system and improve your overall health in the process.

Improve Your Focus

Do you ever have those moments when your mind is running a mile a minute and you can’t focus on the one thing that you need to be doing at that exact moment? You’re not alone. Stress forces your body to respond to stimuli at warp speed, so practices like meditation, yoga, or acupuncture in downtown Denver can help you slow that reaction and improve your ability to focus on the tasks at hand.

Feel Better With Acupuncture In Downtown Denver

Stress is a beast of a burden to bear, especially when the stimuli are out of your control. Practices that help you focus on your mental and physical wellness, like acupuncture, are ideal efforts to incorporate into your regular routine BEFORE you encounter stressful situations so that you can stay ahead of your health.

If you are interested in acupuncture in downtown Denver, book your appointment with Dr. Funk today.

Aging is the number one cause of back pain for adults. As we get older, our bodies tend to see some degeneration of tissue that makes our regular movements less comfortable than we'd like. Your spinal health is a key player in the pain associated with aging and the things we do in our everyday life, like sitting at a desk 8+ hours a day, don't do much to keep our spines healthy. Let's talk about five easy ways to improve your spinal health and stay pain-free as you get older.

#1 Invest In High-Quality Shoes

Your feet take a beating throughout the day. They are, in fact, the one thing that always gets you where you need to go. Whether you're walking, running, or skipping from Point A to Point B, the shoes that you put on your feet play an essential role in your spinal health. You want to ensure that you're investing in high-quality shoes that support your body in the activities you do.

Supportive shoes are going to have a couple of standout features that set them apart from the rest. Look for a shoe that:

• A cushioned heel collar to protect your Achilles tendon and ankle
• A firm insole that supports your foot and arch
• Adjustable laces or velcro for a customized fit
• Gel, foam, or air midsole to reduce the impact upon foot strike

All of these qualities will help support your feet during your daily activities, which, in turn, keeps your back supported.

#2 Your Mattress Can Make Or Break Your Spinal Health

A mattress that is too soft can wreak havoc on your spinal health. You want a mattress that only supports your joints and ligaments but also lets you get a great night's sleep. A mattress that supports the natural curves of your spine will ultimately provide you with the most pain relief and prevention long term.

#3 Practice Good Posture

Your posture follows your eyes and your hands, so those of us who sit in front of a computer all day often see a decline in posture that leads to ongoing discomfort even when we're away from our desk. Try to consciously check your posture throughout the day to prevent slouching forward and compressing your disks. Another way to improve your spinal health at work is to invest in some more ergonomic office tools, like a sit-to-stand desk or a monitor arm that brings your computer to you, instead of the other way around.

#4 Get Up, Get Moving

More than just focusing on good posture, you should get in the habit of moving on a regular basis throughout the workday. Set a timer every hour or so to get up and walk around. You can also do some quick, easy stretches throughout the day to keep your joints and muscles mobile. Your spinal health will thank you for keeping the fluids moving throughout your body and keeping your joints lubricated.

#5 Take Care Of Yourself

Last, but not least, the best way to improve your spinal health is to give your spine all the care and attention it deserves. Whether it is regular massages, chiropractic appointments, meditation, or a combination of all three, caring your body will pay off in the long run.

Take care of your spine with a spinal adjustment at Ideal Health. Schedule your appointment today.

Did you know that at any given time, 31 million Americans experience low-back pain? In fact, low back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide according to Global Burden Disease 2010. Furthermore, as asserted by the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), back pain is the most common reason for missed work and the second most common reason for doctor office visits. Some estimate that up to 80% of the population will experience some sort of back problem at one point or another in their lives. You may be one of the millions who suffer from back pain, and you may be wondering if a spinal adjustment can help you.

What Causes Back Pain?

The back is an extraordinarily complicated and amazing structure made up of bones and muscles. Contrary to popular belief, the majority of back pain cases are not caused by serious conditions such as infection, fracture or arthritis. Many cases are mechanical in nature. For instance, the simplest of movements, like bending over for a ball at the park, and even poor posture can have painful results. In addition, we have all heard about injuries or accidents resulting in back pain, but conditions such as obesity and even the stress of everyday life can further complicate back pain.

Spinal Adjustment for Back Pain

Spinal adjustment/manipulation or chiropractic adjustment is a safe and effective spine pain treatment. Moreover, this treatment is non-invasive, drugless and in some cases an alternative to surgery. Some benefits of spinal adjustment range from temporary pain relief, to long term wellness and preventative care. As defined by the International Chiropractor’s Association (ICA), spinal adjustment is the specific thrust applied to the spine, or vertebra, using the spine itself and other parts of the body as levers to correct any malposition.

Who practices Spinal Adjustment?

Spinal adjustment is part of the larger health care profession known as chiropractic, which as a whole focuses on disorders of the musculoskeletal and nervous system. Doctors of Chiropractic (DCs) are trained to deal with not only back pain but also neck pain, joint pain, and headaches. Additionally, DCs are trained to provide and recommend therapeutic and rehabilitative exercise as well as nutritional and lifestyle counseling. Rest assured, DCs are trained and licensed professionals that go through extensive undergraduate studies and years of graduate-level work and train extensively at accredited chiropractic institutions.

Spinal adjustment is a well-known therapeutic procedure. If you seek to restore your mobility, alleviate your pain and muscle tightness call or book an appointment with Ideal Health Chiropractic today!