Neck aches, soreness, and pain symptoms are not always neck-related. Tight thoracic or mid-back muscles can pull on the neck muscles causing various symptoms. Upper back tightness occurs anywhere from the neck’s base to the bottom of the rib cage. The bones in the upper area don’t move or flex as much as the neck and low back. This can lead individuals to believe there is nothing wrong with the mid-back, as there are no pain symptoms or signs of discomfort. However, individuals don’t realize how tight the muscles are, which can go on for years, causing neck issues. Injury Medical Chiropractic and Functional Medicine Clinic can relieve symptoms, release, and relax tight muscles, increase circulation, and restore optimal function.
Mid-Back Muscle Tightness
The upper and middle back is the thoracic spine. The thoracic spine has twelve small bones called vertebrae. Each vertebra on the thoracic spine is connected to a pair of ribs. The ribs wrap around the body and attach to a long, flat sternum bone. This forms the rib cage. The bones in the upper back work with the ribs to stabilize the back and protect vital organs, including the heart and lungs. The tightening and pulling eventually cause neck aches that can come out of nowhere; even when not moving and looking straight ahead, there can be persistent dull achiness or stinging sensations.
Causes
Unhealthy posture, disc problems, injuries, fractures, or other issues or conditions can cause mid-back muscle tightness.
Posture
Constant sitting or standing combined with unhealthy posture and being hunched over can cause the muscles to tighten, limiting mobility.
Holding Onto Stress
Chronic stress can cause muscle tightening, whether it is in the low back, mid-back, neck, or elsewhere.
Hereditary
Individual genetic makeup may make the body more susceptible to muscle tightness.
For example, individuals with a lot of muscle tone vs. individuals with less muscle tone may experience muscle tightness more often.
Adequate Hydration
Being properly hydrated is important for muscle and joint lubrication.
Water provides nutrients to contracting muscles.
This keeps the body loose and ready for movement.
Muscle Imbalance and Underlying Weakness
Individuals that tend to work one side of the body more than the other or have repeatedly been moving in a certain way for years can cause muscle imbalances and trigger points to develop.
If muscle tightness continues, even after stretching, it could be an underlying weakness.
The muscles can sometimes seize up and guard, so they feel tight when they have become chronically weak and not strong enough to meet the physical demands.
Chiropractic Care
Chiropractic care involves various therapies to address the root cause fully and relieve neck aches. These include:
Massage therapies to break up compacted muscle tissue.
Remove trigger points.
Relax the muscles to a pliable state.
Perform chiropractic adjustments to realign the spine.
Stretching and strengthening.
Posture training that includes stretches/exercises.
Nutritional plans to help strengthen muscles.
Thoracic Tension Release
References
Gatt, Adrianna, et al. “Anatomy, Fascia Layers.” StatPearls, StatPearls Publishing, Jul 25, 2022.
Liebsch, Christian, and Hans-Joachim Wilke. “How Does the Rib Cage Affect the Biomechanical Properties of the Thoracic Spine? A Systematic Literature Review.” Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology vol. 10 904539. Jun 15, 2022, doi:10.3389/fbioe.2022.904539
Maciejewska-Skrendo, Agnieszka et al. “Genetics of Muscle Stiffness, Muscle Elasticity and Explosive Strength.” Journal of human kinetics vol. 74 143-159. 31 Aug. 2020, doi:10.2478/hukin-2020-0027
Modes RJ, Lafci Fahrioglu S. Anatomy, Back. [Updated 2022 Feb 5]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK539746/
Page, Phil. “Current concepts in muscle stretching for exercise and rehabilitation.” International journal of sports physical therapy vol. 7,1 (2012): 109-19.
Petrofsky, Jerrold et al. “The Efficacy of Sustained Heat Treatment on Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness.” Clinical journal of sports medicine: official journal of the Canadian Academy of Sports Medicine vol. 27,4 (2017): 329-337. doi:10.1097/JSM.0000000000000375
Sciatica From Working Out: There are benefits from strenuous exercise and a level of acceptance of the discomfort that goes with exertion. While this is true to a certain degree, when individuals feel the pump and are in the workout zone, it can be very easy to take off and overdo it. This is when the body and the back become susceptible to injuries. Sciatica from working out occurs when added pressure on the sciatic nerve results in a compressed/pinched nerve. Left untreated can lead to further back problems and other health issues. The Injury Medical Chiropractic and Functional Medicine Team can relieve the compression, release the nerve, relax the muscles, and restore function.
Sciatica From Working Out
Microtrauma
Building muscle and increasing strength require a certain amount of physical damage to the muscles for successful progress. Intense and heavy exercise tear the muscle tissues causing microtrauma that triggers a healing response that creates muscle mass. These micro-injuries can cause the back muscles to tighten up, shifting the spine out of alignment, causing the discs to slip and compress nerves, or by tight leg muscles like the piriformis swelling and squeezing the sciatic nerve.
Causes
Rest and Recovery
It’s important to understand that proper recovery is essential to an exercise program.
It can take up to 72 hours to recover from the microtears.
Individuals that go right back for a similar workout can aggravate existing micro tears while creating more, resulting in a downward cycle of symptoms that can lead to other problems or become a chronic condition.
Rotating to exercises that go easy on the back and leg muscles assists in the normal healing and development of muscle tissue.
Not Warming up Before Workout
Not warming up before exercising can cause injuries.
When muscles are cold and not warmed up properly, they can become stiff and inflexible, causing them to strain and tear when exposed to sudden, intense exertion.
Before performing any exercise, always start with a low-impact, gentle warm-up.
Not Stretching Properly or at All
Full-body stretching is necessary as the torn, tight muscles need to be relaxed and kept loose.
Make sure to stretch the hamstrings and hips thoroughly.
After each workout, take 10 minutes and stretch.
Not Stretching After
Always do some stretching after a workout.
Stretching after can help prevent muscle fatigue and soreness from a lactic acid buildup.
Starting With Heavy Weights
Many injuries happen because individuals start too heavy.
Challenging the body’s performance is part of the process but should be done in small steps.
Start with lighter weights and add more gradually.
Improper Posture and Form
A leading cause of back problems is poor posture and form.
Curving the back while lifting weights is the most error.
Overarching can also cause injury.
When performing push-ups or planks, avoid sinking the hips.
Hard Surfaces
For runners, hard surfaces like concrete or asphalt force the body and back to absorb most of the impact.
This compresses the vertebrae, which can irritate the sciatic nerve.
Rotate by using running trails or a treadmill.
Work on running with a shorter stride to reduce bounce and impact.
Incorporate cross-training.
Rotate upper body strength training to give the legs, gluteals, and back muscles a rest.
Chiropractic Rehabilitation
Chiropractic care, massage, and decompression therapy can relieve sciatica pain. Using spinal manipulation techniques and other therapies, chiropractors can alleviate the pressure on the nerve. Treatment involves:
X-rays are taken so that the chiropractor can understand the cause.
Massaging the muscles to relax and release them and increase circulation.
Stretching and applying controlled pressure to the joints.
Specific exercises and stretches will be recommended to do at home.
Health coaching and nutrition and wellness recommendations.
Personalized Sciatica Treatment
References
Bonasia DE, Rosso F, Cottino U, Rossi R. Exercise-induced leg pain. Asia Pac J Sports Med Arthrosc Rehabil Technol. 2015;2(3):73-84. doi:10.1016/j.asmart.2015.03.003
Cook CE, Taylor J, Wright A, Milosavljevic S, Goode A, Whitford M. Risk factors for first-time incidence sciatica: a systematic review. Physiother Res Int. 2014 Jun;18:65-78. doi:doi:10.1002/pri.1572
Koes BW, van Tulder MW, Peul WC. Diagnosis and treatment of sciatica. BMJ. 2007;334(7607):1313‐1317. doi:10.1136/bmj.39223.428495.BE
Lewis RA, Williams NH, Sutton AJ, et al. Comparative clinical effectiveness of management strategies for sciatica: a systematic review and network meta-analyses. (PDF). Spine J. 2015;15(6):1461-77. doi:10.1016/j.spinee.2013.08.049
Salehi, Alireza, et al. “Chiropractic: Is it Efficient in Treatment of Diseases? Review of Systematic Reviews.” International Journal of community-based nursing and midwifery vol. 3,4 (2015): 244-54.
Making healthy posture adjustments is a process, especially for individuals that have been practicing unhealthy postures for years. Not only does the body have to relearn how to position itself correctly, but the muscles, especially those that haven’t been working, also have to adjust. This takes time and is usually at the beginning of postural training that individuals want to give up. This is because of the discomfort and soreness that goes with reactivating the core muscles. This is why it is recommended to go through the process with chiropractic care. A chiropractic therapy team can relieve sore muscles, strengthen the body, and help individuals gradually develop and maintain a healthy posture.
Posture Adjustments
Unhealthy postures shift the body out of balance, straining and stressing the muscles, especially those that have to work overtime every day. This causes the muscles to stiffen and tighten up to the point that they begin to pull the skeletal system in different directions, causing various symptoms that can lead to chronic conditions. Muscles can stay tight for years, with individuals getting used to the feeling. Individuals stretch out, thinking the muscles are loose but don’t realize that they return to their tight position because of the unhealthy muscle memory that developed.
Muscle Imbalance
Muscle imbalances usually progress over time and are typically caused by daily habitual physical routines.
This causes premature and advanced wear and tear on the body.
Postural Dysfunction
Individuals all have positions they spend a lot of time in.
Postural dysfunction begins with unhealthy positioning that shifts the spine and other joints out of balance and alignment.
The muscles become compromised, which leads to various neuromusculoskeletal symptoms.
Muscle fatigue and weakness occur from being overworked.
Headaches can present throughout the day.
Chiropractic Realignment
The muscles have become like tough meat, and the underlying imbalances are straining the neuromusculoskeletal system. The muscle tissues need to be broken up/tenderized and loosened up. Then they can be thoroughly stretched and strengthened to optimal health. Chiropractic care will identify and correct the underlying imbalance, and massage therapy will break up and release the compacted muscle tissue. A personalized treatment plan will consist of the following:
Mobilizing the joints and stretching/releasing shortened tight muscles and soft tissues.
Strengthening the elongated, weaker muscles to correct the body’s alignment and movement control.
Health coaching to identify and recommend lifestyle and nutritional adjustments.
This will restore the bio-mechanical systems, ensuring that equal muscle length and strength on both sides of the system joint or motion segment are maintained.
Posture Adjustments and Foot Orthotics
References
Aino, Masaki, et al. “Comparison of spinal column alignment and autonomic nervous activity using the intersegmental tenderness test in the segment above.” Journal of physical therapy science vol. 33,8 (2021): 570-575. doi:10.1589/jpts.33.570
Creze, Maud, et al. “Posture-related stiffness mapping of paraspinal muscles.” Journal of anatomy vol. 234,6 (2019): 787-799. doi:10.1111/joa.12978
Joshi, Reema, and Nishita Poojary. “The Effect of Muscle Energy Technique and Posture Correction Exercises on Pain and Function in Patients with Non-specific Chronic Neck Pain Having Forward Head Posture-a Randomized Controlled Trail.” International journal of therapeutic massage & bodywork vol. 15,2 14-21. 1 Jun. 2022, doi:10.3822/ijtmb.v15i2.673
Langford, M L. “Poor posture subjects a worker’s body to muscle imbalance, nerve compression.” Occupational health & safety (Waco, Tex.) vol. 63,9 (1994): 38-40, 42.
McLean, Linda. “The effect of postural correction on muscle activation amplitudes recorded from the cervicobrachial region.” Journal of electromyography and kinesiology: official journal of the International Society of Electrophysiological Kinesiology vol. 15,6 (2005): 527-35. doi:10.1016/j.jelekin.2005.06.003
Szczygieł, Elżbieta et al. “The Impact of Deep Muscle Training on the Quality of Posture and Breathing.” Journal of motor behavior vol. 50,2 (2018): 219-227. doi:10.1080/00222895.2017.1327413
Bone Broth Benefits: Bone broth is made by simmering the bones and connective tissue from just about any animal, including chicken, turkey, beef, pork, fish, lamb, bison, buffalo, and venison. It is a highly nutritious stock commonly used in soups, sauces, and gravies and recently as a health drink.Research has shown bone broth benefits, including increased immune system function and helping build up the body’s systems to overcome disorders like allergies, asthma, and arthritis. And the broth form allows the body to easily absorb minerals like calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, and sulfur.
Bone Broth Benefits
Bone broth dates back to prehistoric times when inedible animal parts like bones, hooves, and knuckles were turned into broth. It is important to understand that most store-bought stocks and broths are not made of bone or animals. Companies, instead, use lab-produced meat flavors. Homemade bone broth is made by simmering bones, water, and vinegar for 10 -12 hours, extracting the collagen from the bones into the liquid. This creates a rich form of stock. Bones are often roasted before making the broth.
Simple Recipe
Making bone broth is very simple, and there are many recipes online. A large pot, water, bones, and vinegar are all that is necessary to get started, here’s an easy recipe:
Ingredients
One gallon (4 liters) of water.
2 tbsp (30 mL) apple cider vinegar.
Adding vinegar is important because it extracts valuable nutrients out of the bones and into the water.
2–4 pounds (around 1–2 kg) of animal bones.
Salt and pepper, to taste.
Vegetables, herbs, or spices can be added to create and enhance flavor.
Garlic, onion, celery, carrot, parsley, and thyme can be added in step one.
Directions
Place all ingredients in a large pot or slow cooker.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce to a simmer and cook for 12–24 hours.
The longer it cooks, the better it tastes and provides more nutrition.
Let the broth cool.
Strain into a large container and discard the bones.
Because of the long cooking, large amounts of collagen are extracted, making the bone broth gelatinous at room temperature.
Benefits
Digestion
Bone broth is a rich source of glutamine, an amino acid that improves digestion and gut health.
It can be particularly beneficial for people with digestive conditions such as leaky gut syndrome or inflammatory bowel disease.
Gelatin can also bind to water in the digestive tract, which helps foods move through the gut more easily.
Bone broth can benefit individuals with the following:
Leaky gut
Irritable bowel syndrome – IBS.
Inflammatory bowel disease/IBD like ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease.
Low Glycemic Index
Homemade vegetarian or meat-based broths are very low glycemic, with no added sugar, low in calories, and a great way to hydrate the body.
It can be a healthy snack between meals without an insulin spike that can lead to post-meal energy crashes.
Collagen Improves Hair, Skin, and Nail Health
Bone broth contains collagen. Collagen is a protein in structural and connective tissues that includes skin, bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
The fibrous structure contributes to strength, shape, and elasticity and can fortify hair, skin, and nails.
Bone broth can be beneficial for pregnant women, as it can help preserve skin elasticity during pregnancy while the skin stretches and grows.
Anti-Inflammation
The amino acids glycine and arginine have anti-inflammatory effects.
Arginine may be especially beneficial for fighting chronic inflammation.
Protects Bones and Joints
Bone broth contains calcium for maintaining strong bones and preventing bone loss as the body ages.
Collagen also protects joints from age-related deterioration.
It can help individuals with bone and joint conditions like osteoarthritis.
Bones
Instead of throwing leftover bones from meals in the garbage, save them. They can be collected in a bag and stored in the freezer until ready to roast and cook. Individuals who don’t buy and eat whole chickens and bone-in meat can ask for them at the local butcher or farmers market. The meat department at most grocery stores will often have them. They’re inexpensive, and a butcher may even offer them for free. It is recommended to find pastured chicken or grass-fed beef bones as these are the healthiest and provide maximum health benefits.
Storage
Making broth in large batches is recommended, as it can only be stored safely in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To help the broth last longer, it can be frozen in small containers and heated up for individual servings as needed.
Functional Nutrition
References
Koutroubakis, I E et al. “Serum laminin and collagen IV in inflammatory bowel disease.” Journal of clinical pathology vol. 56,11 (2003): 817-20. doi:10.1136/jcp.56.11.817
Mar-Solís, Laura M et al. “Analysis of the Anti-Inflammatory Capacity of Bone Broth in a Murine Model of Ulcerative Colitis.” Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) vol. 57,11 1138. 20 Oct. 2021, doi:10.3390/medicina57111138
McCance, R A et al. “Bone, and vegetable broth.” Archives of disease in childhood vol. 9,52 (1934): 251-8. doi:10.1136/adc.9.52.251
Peterson, Orion J et al. “Neuroprotective Effect of Enriched Chicken Bone Broth as a Dietary Supplement in a Model of Migraine Mediated by Early Life Stress.” Journal of medicinal food vol. 23,12 (2020): 1259-1265. doi:10.1089/jmf.2019.0312
Agility is the ability to accelerate, decelerate, stabilize, and quickly change directions with proper form and posture. Everyone, athletes and non-athletes, use agility every day. This can be maneuvering around objects during a jog, shifting movements or positions when walking through a crowd, reaching toward the highest shelf, or carrying things upstairs. These controlled reactions require a balance of coordination, speed, stamina, and strength. Injury Medical Chiropractic and Functional Medicine Clinic can provide agility enhancement through adjustments, massage, and decompression to relax the body, strengthen the muscles, and improve circulation and nerve function.
Agility Enhancement
Individuals need skill and control to react to a stimulus or movement. Agility requires muscular coordination, efficiency, and cohesiveness between the upper and lower body. Agility and reaction time are two components of neuromusculoskeletal health that work together. Agility enhancement can improve cognitive ability, power production, and physical performance. Agility enhancement improves overall physical skills, including:
Balance
Stability
Coordination
Body Control
Cognition
Recovery time
Chiropractic Care
Chiropractic improves agility neurologically through improved circulation and energy flow in the nervous system.
Injury Treatment and Prevention
Agility enhancement can help with injury prevention, as agility training increases control, balance, and flexibility. It teaches the correct body placement while moving to protect the knees, shoulders, and lower back. It also helps to strengthen the muscles and improve the resiliency of the connective tissue allowing them to shorten and lengthen rapidly. This helps prevent injuries and relieves pain and stiffness associated with muscle overuse.
Stiffness often occurs from the overuse of muscles.
Stiffness reduces flexibility, increasing the risk of injury and affecting movement and physical capabilities.
Stiffness can even occur from changes in everyday routines.
Chiropractic prevents the muscles from tensing up, reducing stiffness and increasing your range of motion.
Chiropractic helps strengthen the musculoskeletal system, which makes it easier to maintain normal balance.
Chiropractic can strengthen the muscles by making the muscle fibers more excitable, contributing to quicker reaction time.
We create rehabilitation and strength and conditioning treatment plans that are individualized for each individual. This program entails the following:
Posture, mobility, and performance education for improved movement.
Health and nutritional recommendations.
Our treatment programs are designed to improve each individual’s whole body health and decrease the risk of injury.
Improve Balance And Agility
References
Ali, Kamran, et al. “Comparison of Complex Versus Contrast Training on Steroid Hormones and Sports Performance in Male Soccer Players.” Journal of chiropractic medicine vol. 18,2 (2019): 131-138. doi:10.1016/j.jcm.2018.12.001
Järvinen, Tero A H, et al. “Muscle injuries: optimizing recovery.” Best practice & research. Clinical rheumatology vol. 21,2 (2007): 317-31. doi:10.1016/j.berh.2006.12.004
Lennemann, Lynette M et al. “The influence of agility training on physiological and cognitive performance.” Journal of strength and conditioning research vol. 27,12 (2013): 3300-9. doi:10.1519/JSC.0b013e31828ddf06
Miners, Andrew L. “Chiropractic treatment and the enhancement of sports performance: a narrative literature review.” The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association vol. 54,4 (2010): 210-21.
There is a multitude of reasons why back muscles tighten and stiffen up. Muscles pull the bones and joints. Overuse and/or injuries can pull the bones, joints, and tendons out of place, thus causing the muscles to stay in a flexed or stretched position, the inability for the muscles to relax and return to their normal position, resulting in symptoms of discomfort, stiffness, and pain. Individuals can have reoccurring bouts of tight muscles, eventually becoming chronic. Chronic muscle tension can pull the spine out of alignment even if there is no specific injury. The Injury Medical Chiropractic and Functional Wellness Team can relieve tight back muscle tension and restore positioning, mobility, and function.
Muscles are the Key
Muscles make the body move and greatly impact the skeletal and nervous systems. When a muscle is overstretched or pulled, there is not just injury to the muscles but the potential for injury to the bones and tendons in the area. This, in turn, can pinch nerves and cause problems with the nervous system, especially in pain signal transmissions.
Symptoms
Symptoms will depend on the cause and severity. The most common include:
Constant or chronic muscle achiness, soreness, stiffness, and tightness.
Even after stretching or flexing, there is a dull aching or pain.
More serious symptoms may include:
Electrical or burning sensations
Sharp or stabbing pain.
Weakness in the legs or arms
Tingling or numbness in the legs, arms, or chest.
Chest discomfort symptoms.
Causes
Aging
The older a person is, the more likely they will experience back discomfort symptoms. Back issues most likely occur in 30- to 50-year-olds.
The aging process naturally wears the body.
Thinning bones
Muscle mass reduction
Fluid loss between joints in the spine.
All these can cause back issues and problems.
Unhealthy posture
Constant pressure on the spine can lead to general back discomfort symptoms. Practicing unhealthy posture can generate this pressure. The muscles and ligaments must work harder to keep the body balanced because the muscles are out of position, and the other muscles can’t perform their job properly. Overworking and overuse lead to tight back muscles, aches, and pain.
Muscle sprain or strain
Sprains are the tearing or stretching of ligaments. Strains are the tearing or stretching of muscles and tendons. Lifting heavy objects without proper form can easily cause a back sprain or strain. Sprains and strains can also occur after an awkward, sudden, or jerking movement.
Herniated disc
A herniated, slipped, or ruptured disc puts pressure on a nerve/s. This can stress the surrounding muscles causing tension to build up.
Fall or other injuries
Tight back muscles can result from the following:
A fall
Vehicle accident
Force Trauma
Sports accident
Weight gain
Added weight stresses and pulls the body down. This causes unhealthy posture and muscle tension.
Chiropractic Functional Wellness
Usually, tight muscles can be relieved with a hot bath or cold therapy. Reoccurring bouts of, or chronically tense back muscles, are signals that something is wrong and should not be ignored. Chiropractic care can release and relax tight back muscles and get them back into a natural state by re-aligning the spine through tissue manipulation, decompression, massage, and adjustments. The various treatment methods will relieve the discomfort, pain, tension, and realign the spinal column, and strengthen the body. When spinal components are put back into their proper place, the surrounding muscles no longer need to provide a counter-balance to the misalignment and begin to relax. Chiropractors can also recommend ways to improve posture and strengthen muscles to incur less wear and tear.
Chiropractic Back Therapy
References
Furlan, Andrea D et al. “Complementary and alternative therapies for back pain II.” Evidence report/technology assessment,194 (2010): 1-764.
Geneen, Louise J et al. “Physical activity and exercise for chronic pain in adults: an overview of Cochrane Reviews.” The Cochrane database of systematic reviews vol. 4,4 CD011279. 24 Apr. 2017, doi:10.1002/14651858.CD011279.pub3
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2017). Back pain: Symptoms. mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/back-pain/basics/symptoms/con-20020797
Miake-Lye, Isomi M et al. “Massage for Pain: An Evidence Map.” Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.) vol. 25,5 (2019): 475-502. doi:10.1089/acm.2018.0282
Nahian, Ahmed, et al. “Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment: Facial Muscle Energy, Direct MFR, and BLT Procedure – for TMJ Dysfunction.” StatPearls, StatPearls Publishing, 12 September 2022.
Rahman Shiri, Jaro Karppinen, Päivi Leino-Arjas, Svetlana Solovieva, Eira Viikari-Juntura, The Association Between Obesity and Low Back Pain: A Meta-Analysis, American Journal of Epidemiology, Volume 171, Issue 2, 15 January 2010, Pages 135–154, https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwp356
Winter is when most children and adults are prone to catching colds, the flu, etc. The excitement of the holiday season can also take a toll on the body’s neuromusculoskeletal system, leaving the individual more susceptible to illness. Digestive issues such as bloating, cramping, and constipation are also common. Certain supplements can help maintain body, gut, and brain holiday health. Here are a few recommended supplements to take during the holidays.
Holiday Health
To help fill in the gaps from the holiday foods and increase energy, holiday health supplements to consider adding include:
Probiotics
Probiotics are healthy bacteria and microbes that populate the gut or microbiome.
They help digest nutrients, support proper digestion and elimination, and manage appetite and mood.
A quality probiotic supplement supports healthy digestion and immune health.
It can help reduce diarrhea, constipation, gas, and bloating while protecting the immune system against pathogens.
For the most benefits, it is recommended to take a supplement with a high CFU count, diverse probiotic strains, and a delivery method that ensures the probiotics will survive once consumed.
The body produces melatonin naturally, especially at night, since this promotes sleep.
Melatonin is a hormone that helps regulate the body’s circadian rhythm, which makes you feel tired or alert at the right times of the day.
Taking melatonin can help decrease jet lag symptoms.
Consider taking melatonin to help promote healthy sleep.
However, it’s usually only recommended for short-term use, so consult your doctor.
Vitamin D
During the winter, when less sunlight is available, low vitamin D levels are very common among adults.
The body naturally makes vitamin D when the skin is exposed to the sun’s UV light rays; however, most spend nearly all their time indoors once the weather becomes cold.
Vitamin D is responsible for hundreds of reactions related to brain function, hormone production, and immune defenses.
A vitamin D supplement can help maintain healthy levels, which is important for maintaining a strong immune system, cardiovascular and bone health, and mood.
Magnesium
Magnesium is a mineral and electrolyte providing cardiovascular and bone support, improved sleep, healthy muscle and nerve function, and healthy digestion.
A magnesium supplement can help with aches and pains, restlessness, headaches, and constipation.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C intake protects against colds and other illnesses.
It supports healthy immune defenses, healthy nervous system function, antioxidant activity, neuron function, and skin health.
A vitamin C supplement combined with probiotics further helps support healthy gastrointestinal function and absorption.
Chiropractic For Digestive Health
Chiropractic care supports the healthy functioning of the nervous system.
The vagus nerve extends from the brain stem and innervates digestive system organs.
Sympathetic nerves in the thoracic and lumbar regions and the parasympathetic nerves near the sacrum also support digestion.
Decompressing the spine and correcting posture allow room for the muscles to contract, open up the spine to circulate fluids throughout the body, and expand and properly circulate food and waste.
Ernst, Edzard. “Chiropractic treatment for gastrointestinal problems: a systematic review of clinical trials.” Canadian journal of gastroenterology = Journal canadien de gastroenterology vol. 25,1 (2011): 39-40. doi:10.1155/2011/910469
Govender, Mershen et al. “A review of the advancements in probiotic delivery: Conventional vs. non-conventional formulations for intestinal flora supplementation.” AAPS PharmSciTech vol. 15,1 (2014): 29-43. doi:10.1208/s12249-013-0027-1
Leboeuf-Yde, Charlotte, et al. “Self-reported nonmusculoskeletal responses to chiropractic intervention: a multination survey.” Journal of manipulative and physiological therapeutics vol. 28,5 (2005): 294-302; discussion 365-6. doi:10.1016/j.jmpt.2005.04.010
Peterson, Caroline. “A case study of chiropractic management of pregnancy-related heartburn with postulated fetal epigenome implications.” Explore (New York, N.Y.) vol. 8,5 (2012): 304-8. doi:10.1016/j.explore.2012.06.001
Qu, Liuxin, et al. “Irritable bowel syndrome treated by traditional Chinese spinal orthopedic manipulation.” Journal of traditional Chinese medicine = Chung i tsa chih ying wen pan vol. 32,4 (2012): 565-70. doi:10.1016/s0254-6272(13)60072-2
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Posture Adjustments
Bone Broth Benefits
Agility Enhancement
Muscles are the Key
