An 8-Minute Workout to Restore Your Flexibility & Strength

Getting back into a regular exercise routine after the holidays can take a lot of work. Because of this, your body may have lost some strength and flexibility in your joints. Enjoy this quick 8-minute workout to help restore muscle memory and strength.

Knee Tuck

1. Start by lying on your back with your legs extended. Keep your arms straight and to your sides.
2. Bring your knees to your chest while keeping your hips to the ground.
3. Hold for 8-10 counts. Repeat 4-6 times.

Straight Leg Crossover

1. Start by lying on your back with your legs extended. Keep your arms out to your sides.
2. Lift your left leg toward the ceiling. Then, slowly lower your leg to the right side while crossing your other leg over your body.
3. Hold for 8-10 counts and repeat 4-6 times on each side.

Swimming

1. Start by lying face down on the floor with your arms extended past your head.
2. Lift your right hand and left leg slightly off of the ground.
3. Keep your body straight and your stomach pulled into your spine.
4. Return to your starting position, and repeat with your left hand and right leg.
5. Continue for 30 seconds.

Always consult with your doctor or chiropractor before adding new workouts into your routine, especially if you have a serious medical condition, physical limitations or experience chronic pain.

3 Quick and Easy Exercises to Help You Avoid Low Back Pain

Did you know that low back pain is one of the most common reasons for missed work?

Luckily, there are three quick and easy core strengthening exercises you can do to avoid that debilitating low back pain.

Forward Knee Plank: The knee plank helps strengthen your low back. It also helps build foundational strength for more complex plank exercises that are found in the forward plank.

Bird Dog: Despite the strange name, this exercise works by engaging your posterior chain. Strengthening this muscle group can help improve your posture and may also help alleviate pain in both the upper and lower back.

Forward Plank: The last core exercise is a more complex version of the forward knee plank. The forward plank helps strengthen the main support muscle for your lower back.

Remember to perform all these exercises as advised by your chiropractor.

How to Avoid the Painful Side Effects of Gift Giving

The holiday season is a popular time to buy the latest technology for loved ones, but if you have a new phone or the latest video game system wrapped beneath your tree, you may also be giving pain along with it.

Text neck, a condition in which the continual use of technology causes neck pain and discomfort, can cause serious health risks. It happens most often when you bend over to read text message, browse the internet or gaze at video game screens and controllers. And with the large amount of technology and gadgets gifted over the holiday season, cases of text neck will be rampant.
The severity of text neck symptoms will vary from person to person, but tend to be more prominent with an increased level of activity on the phone or device used.

These symptoms may include:

• Soreness
• Stiffness
• Pain to the shoulders, neck and upper back
• A slight curving of the spine
• Increased headaches

There are solutions for this type of pain. Of course, curbing technology use might be the most obvious one, but if you can’t pry the controller from your child’s hands this winter break, there are other options, as well:

Lift Your Device

Try lifting your device to eye level. You might feel silly at first, but you’ll be protecting the health of your neck and spine for the long term. If you don’t want to lift the device, then leave the device low, but avoid bending your neck and look only with your eyes. Another option is to rest your neck while using your device. Use a headrest, a pillow, or even a wall to hold your head up instead of holding it bent for hours at a time.

Limit Your Time

This is a harder one, but giving yourself and your family members time limits for device use will ease neck pain. Try to only use your phone when you have somewhere to rest your head at the same time.

Chiropractic Care

Since text neck often causes actual misalignment of the spine, chiropractic care can help. A chiropractor can use spinal manipulation to properly align the spine and keep it healthier and pain free. And at Franklin Chiropractic & Accident Clinics, Inc., we treat children, as well as adults, so aligning the spine of the child who is never without his phone is no problem.

To get some help and care from a chiropractor, walk into Franklin Chiropractic & Accident Clinics, Inc. any time. Walk-in appointments and affordable pricing make it possible for everyone to get the care they need to protect their neck and back this holiday season and in the year ahead. A chiropractor at Franklin Chiropractic & Accident Clinics, Inc. may be able to align your spine and put your neck in better shape so that you can enjoy your technology now and for years into the future.

How to Take Meaningful Breaks from Your Phone

For those of us who clearly remember a time before smartphones, it’s easy to see how this technology has changed us and our relationships. 
 
In the morning, instead of quietly waking and adjusting to the light of day, so many of us grab our phone and check our alerts—before we even set our feet on the ground. During coffee or meals with loved ones, we incessantly check our devices—only half listening to the conversation. When hiking through a beautiful landscape or witnessing a life-changing event, we’re peering through our screens to get the best shot for Instagram. And that’s just a snippet of how our lives have changed.

5 Ways to Take Breaks

While this technology is certainly here to stay, it doesn’t mean it has to take over the world around us. You are in control of your day, your relationships and your habits; so harness that willpower and use these ideas to tune out the noise and enjoy the life in front of you.

1. Whenever you get home, leave your phone in your bag or drop it in a basket by the door. If you’re worried about missing an important call or an emergency—think about getting a landline or digital home phone. If you have kids, having a home phone isn’t a bad idea.

Tip: If you have a smartphone, set up an auto-text reply to go out to people who call or text, asking them to reach you at your home phone.

2. Put your phone in the backseat (the trunk is even better) when you’re driving. Not only does the phone distract you, but you’re missing out on some great downtime to listen to music, think or just take in your surroundings.

Tip: Auto-text replies come in handy here, too. Set up a reply alerting people you are driving and will get back to them shortly.

3. Set designated “shut-down” times. Before dinner, have everyone drop their phone into a basket or leave them in their rooms. When you head outdoors for some quality family time, don’t bring them along. We did survive in a time before cellphones!

Tip: If you make this a regular thing—it’ll become easier for your family to break the habit of using phones during family time. And hopefully it’ll carry-over to the next generation!

4. Leave your phone in the car when you’re meeting a friend. If you’re concerned that someone at home may need you, let your family know where you’ll be. If it’s truly important, they can call the place of business to get ahold of you (that’s how we did it in the old days!).

Tip: Ask your friend if you can both go “phone-free” for your coffee or lunch date and enjoy some genuine, uninterrupted conversation.

5. Too hard to leave the phone behind completely? Set it to airplane mode or turn off all your notifications. Then pick times you can check your phone—perhaps every two hours or at 42 minutes after every hour. Find what works for you.

Tip: See if your smartphone has a feature to set “quiet hours.” On most Apple devices, this feature is called “Do Not Disturb,” which only allows calls from specific people to come through. You can also set it to ring if a number has called twice in less than three minutes.

Should I Use Heat or Ice for Pain?

Did you get hurt during your workout? It’s time to grab the heating pad… or the ice pack… or both—who even knows! There’s a lot of confusion when it comes to using heat or cold to help treat common exercise injuries like strains, sprains, pulled muscles, shin splits, knee injuries and tenderness. Let’s put an end to it once and for all! Here’s your temperature care breakdown, so you know when it’s time to sing a song of fire or one of ice. 
 

Ice, Ice, Baby

As a general rule, always choose ice for injuries and inflammation. Cold restricts blood flow and reduces inflammation and swelling. Whenever there’s bleeding in underlying tissue—think sprains, strains or bruising—ice treatment is the way to go. You can use cold therapy in two ways: immediate or rehabilitation.
Immediate treatment: helps prevent the injured area from becoming stiff by reducing tissue fluid.
Rehabilitation: aims to restore normal function to an affected area by reducing pain and spasms, which in turn allows for better movement.
If you have bad circulation, then cold therapy probably isn’t for you. If you apply ice for too long (or directly!) then skin, tissue or nerve damage becomes a possibility. Folks with cardiovascular disease should always consult with their doctor before using cold therapy.

Turn Up the Heat

Usually, heat is the best method for relaxing—whereas ice restricts blood vessels, heat opens them, increasing blood flow to an affected area. This is perfect for most aches and pains, and it’s also really great for repairing damaged tissue since increased blood flow stimulates healing. Minor stiffness and tension can usually be relieved with about 15-20 minutes of heat therapy.
Do not feel the burn! When using heat therapy, you want to keep a nice, even warmth. If you have swelling or bruising, heat isn’t the right call. Never use it near open wounds, and for people with heart disease or hypertension, always ask your doctor before using this treatment.

The Ultimate Treatment

When it comes to injuries caused by physical activity, cold and heat are super beneficial, but they’re not long-term solutions. A healthy musculoskeletal system is critical to overall health and healing, affecting how the entire body functions. Regular adjustments of the spine help return the body to a normal state, reducing tension and pain by utilizing the body’s natural healing process. Choosing chiropractic as the first line of defense once injured decreases the likelihood of surgery and further injury!

Could Your Child Have Scoliosis?

What do you know about scoliosis? Many people know that it affects the spine…but not much else. You might be surprised to know that kids are one of the largest groups affected by scoliosis. Find out what else you should know about this common condition. 
 

What is scoliosis?

Scoliosis is a spinal disorder traditionally defined as a sideways curvature (or curvatures) of the spine. Often, the curves appear S-shaped or C-shaped. The most common form of scoliosis is idiopathic, which accounts for about 80 percent of scoliosis cases. Unfortunately—and frustratingly—idiopathic means “without known cause,” meaning experts don’t have all the answers for sufferers.

Who is affected?

Scoliosis affects between 6 and 9 million people in the United States. Of those suffering from the disorder, children aged 10 to 15 are the largest age group, and girls are more often affected than boys. While it’s common in this age and gender group—people of any age, race, gender, etc. can be diagnosed with scoliosis.

What causes scoliosis?

As mentioned above, most cases of scoliosis are without a known cause. Some cases, such as congenital scoliosis, do have a known cause. In congenital scoliosis, the curves are thought to be due to abnormally formed vertebrae, present at birth.

What are the signs and symptoms?

Typically, those who have scoliosis won’t experience back pain, so it’s important to look for physical signs such as:

• Uneven shoulders or a shoulder blade that protrudes farther than the other when your child is standing
• A rib hump (rib prominence) or a lower back hump (lumbar prominence) when your child is bending forward

It’s important to note that scoliosis can run in families—so if you know of someone in your family that is affected, or have a child that has been diagnosed, be sure to have other family members checked.

How is scoliosis diagnosed?

Scoliosis can be diagnosed using medical and family history, a physical examination, and X-rays of the spine. Be sure to have your child checked by a professional, often times the signs of scoliosis are subtle and can be easily missed.

What are the treatment options?

There are several options for treating scoliosis, such as chiropractic, observation and bracing. Studies have shown active chiropractic treatment has improved the Cobb angle and pain scores. Experts agree that scoliosis is best treated when found early—so if you suspect your child may be at risk or has developed the disorder, it’s best to get them in for a check-up right away.

Are You at Risk for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

It might not seem like something you need to worry about, but carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is quite common, and the sooner it's treated, the better. Early in the disorder, it's typically reversible, but over time, permanent nerve damage can occur. 
 

Factors, Professions and Conditions that Increase Risk

In order to catch an early diagnosis, it's important you're aware of the different factors that put you at higher risk.
Age and Sex

• Older adults are at a higher risk than young adults
• CTS is very rare in children
• Women are three times as likely to develop CTS
• Women experience an increased risk during pregnancy, after delivering a baby and during menopause

Health Conditions

• Chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, increase risk
• Obesity, thyroid disorders and kidney failure also contribute

Occupations at Highest Risk
Below is a list of the occupations at risk for carpal tunnel, ranked from highest to lowest. If you know anyone in one of these professions, pass this copy to him or her.

• Laborers and freight, stock, and material, movers
• Customer service representatives
• First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers
• Janitors, maids, and housekeeping cleaners
• Food service managers
• First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers
• Automotive service technicians and mechanics
• Executive secretaries and administrative assistants
• Financial managers

• Sewing machine operators
• Truck drivers
• Office clerks
• Accounting and auditing clerks
• Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
• Sheet metal workers
• Packers and packagers
• Computer software engineers
• Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
• Stock clerks and order fillers
• Tire repairers and changer

 

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Symptoms

Pay attention to these signs and symptoms. If you suspect you may have CTS, visit your chiropractor as soon as possible.

• Pain, numbness or tingling occurs in the fingers, hands, muscles, thumb or wrist
• Often occurs at night
• Muscle weakness, spasms or loss of muscle
• Pins and needles, tingling or burning sensations
• May feel the urge to "shake out" your hand to relieve symptoms

The Health Problems Our Seniors Are Up Against

Are you having a hard time with aging? You’re not alone. Many people struggle with getting older, and our senior population is only growing; the number of Americans over 65 is estimated to more than double—from 46 million to more than 98 million—by 2060. And while the average American life expectancy is higher than ever, we’re also sicker than ever. Here are just a few of the conditions older Americans are dealing with today. 
 

Arthritis

It’s estimated that more than half of people over 65 have been told by a healthcare provider that they have arthritis. In fact, it’s the leading cause of disability in older Americans. Untreated, arthritis may only worsen, causing stiffness, inflammation and swelling in the affected area—it can also lead to pinched nerves and other more serious problems that hinder daily activities.

Fall-Induced Injury

The risk of accidental falls and slips increases exponentially as you age—in fact, more than one in four older people fall every year, and less than half tell their doctor about it. This is even more troubling when you consider that falling even once doubles your chances of a repeat accident, and many falls cause a serious injury like broken bones, fractures, head injuries and more.

Osteoporosis

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, osteoporosis affects one in four women age 65 and older—a drastic difference than the rate for men (one in 17). In fact, most don’t know they even have it until they break a bone. If untreated, osteoporosis can cause back pain, vertebrae issues, height loss, stooped posture and increased risk of bone fractures.

Fatigue or Energy Loss

In a 2015 study examining the causes of fatigue in adults over 65, researchers found 31 percent felt tired all the time. Although chronic fatigue and energy loss can greatly affect daily activity, social interactions and more, it can cause or facilitate poorer health, loss of function, loneliness, depression, poor sleep and decreased physical activity.

9 Health and Wellness Quotes to Inspire You

Finding and maintaining a healthy, balanced lifestyle can be tricky. Nutrition, exercise, therapies like chiropractic and other healthy habits like good sleep hygiene and stress management are great places to start. The choice to adopt healthier habits is a big decision, but remember, you and your body are worthy of the best care possible. 
 
Here are a few quotes about wellness to keep you inspired on your health journey!

“He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything.”

— Arabian Proverb

 

“Healing is a matter of time, but it is sometimes also a matter of opportunity.”

— Hippocrates

 

“By cleansing your body on a regular basis and eliminating as many toxins as possible from your environment, your body can begin to heal itself, prevent disease, and become stronger and more resilient than you ever dreamed possible!”

— Dr. Edward Group III

 

“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, not to worry about the future, or not to anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”

— Buddha

 

“Wellness encompasses a healthy body, a sound mind and a tranquil spirit. Enjoy the journey as you strive for wellness.”

— Laurette Gagnon Beaulieu

 

“Nurturing yourself is not selfish—it’s essential to your survival and your well–being.”

— Renee Peterson Trudeau

 

“If we are creating ourselves all the time, then it is never too late to begin creating the bodies we want instead of the ones we mistakenly assume we are stuck with.”

— Deepak Chopra

 

“What drains your spirit drains your body. What fuels your spirit fuels your body.”

— Caroline Myss

 

“Health is a state of body. Wellness is a state of being.”

— J. Stanford

How to Curb Sugar Cravings

Culturally speaking, women are the ones with the sweet tooth—and there might actually be some truth to that. A 2004 study showed that women may crave sweets more often than men due to the female hormone estradiol. This hormone is an important part of reproductive and sexual function—which also might explain why some women report sugar cravings around the time of their period or during menopause or perimenopause (pre-menopause).
Other reported causes of sugar cravings could be due to a sluggish or overloaded adrenal gland, a yeast infection, an underactive thyroid gland, an imbalance of beneficial gut bacteria and stress.
Of course, eating healthy can help alleviate many of these issues—and there are also other ways to help curb your cravings.

Use the Salty Sweet Visualization Exercise

Sounds silly—but try this: When you find yourself faced with the temptation to eat something sugary that you’d rather not and your willpower is waning, imagine that you’ve poured salt all over it. For real! Let’s say you’re full but can’t stop eyeballing that plate of cookies on the counter; take a moment and visualize yourself shaking salt all over a cookie and then taking salty bite after salty bite. Experts say this works because, believe it or not, humans have a natural aversion to overly salted foods. This trick works well for a lot of people!

Avoid Processed Foods

Research has shown that sugar lights up the food-reward network in the brain more than fat. This means that high-sugar foods may cause the body to crave more food—and more sweet foods. This is not unlike addictions to drugs like cocaine; the brain becomes wired to crave more and more. Many processed foods contain high levels of sugar among other undesirable ingredients. The more you can avoid these foods, the less likely you are to crave them.

Eat More Fermented Foods and Probiotics

Some experts consider adding fermented foods and probiotics into the diet to be one of the best ways to reduce sugar cravings. Fermented foods, fermented liquids and probiotics will help restore a balance in your healthy gut bacteria. (There are millions of microbes in your stomach and intestines. If you have bad gut bacteria/microbes, they can actually influence your cravings through nerve pathways linked between your stomach and brain. Crazy, huh?)
Pickles, sauerkraut, Korean kimchi, miso soup, kombucha tea and live cultured yogurt, like Kefir, are great options. If you’d rather supplement or aren’t getting enough of these foods, select a probiotic that is dairy-free with 5 billion microorganisms per capsule especially containing Lactobacilli, Bifidobacteria, and Streptococcus thermophiles.

Keep Your Blood Sugar Stable

Sounds like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many people don’t keep their blood sugar stable. This instability can cause a lack of energy, an increase in cravings, mood swings, memory issues and imbalanced hormones. To balance your blood sugar eat foods low on the glycemic index (veggies, berries, nuts and seeds), eat several small meals throughout the day, make sure to get protein with every meal, don’t skip breakfast and ditch the sodas.

11 Chiropractic Facts That'll Amaze You

The number of those benefiting from chiropractic care continues to rise as more and more people discover the importance of good spinal health. If you’re a patient of chiropractic, you probably know a lot about what the therapy can do for you—but what about the profession itself? Here are some chiropractic fun facts you definitely didn’t see coming.

1. The term “chiropractic” is a combination of two Grecian words: cheir which means hand, and praktos which means done. “Done by Hand”... fitting, right?
2. The first chiropractic adjustment was given in 1895 by Daniel David Palmer (the father of Chiropractic!) who helped a janitor, Harvey Lillard, regain his hearing after a back accident he suffered 17 years prior.
3. Doctors of Chiropractic (DCs) go through a minimum of 4,200 hours of classroom, lab and clinical internships during their 4-year doctoral graduate school program. Perspective: If you combine all that time, that’s 175 days straight. Oof.
4. It is estimated that Doctors of Chiropractic (DCs) treat over 35 million Americans (adults and children) annually.
5. There are about 95,000 doctors of chiropractic in active practice across the globe, and about 10,000 students are currently enrolled in chiropractic education programs in the United States alone.
6. 32 National Football League teams utilize chiropractic! All 32 teams have their own chiropractor to boost performance, maintain wellness and treat musculoskeletal strain and injury.
7. Unbeknownst to quite a few, infants can benefit greatly from chiropractic care. It makes sense—birth can be pretty hard on a little body! The adjustment is adapted to suit their needs and is perfectly safe.
8. Each day, over one million adjustments take place across the globe. That’s a whole lot of relief!
9. Chiropractic is recognized and regulated by law in over 40 countries! And in the United States, D.Cs are licensed in all 50 of them!
10. An injured worker is 28 times less likely to have spinal surgery if the first point of contact is a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC), rather than a surgeon.
11. Treatment for low back pain (a common symptom treated by chiropractic care) initiated by a DC costs up to 20 percent less than when started by a MD.

Corsets, Braces, and Splints

Corsets, braces and splints are used in chiropractic treatment. A common application of braces is used to treat children with idiopathic scoliosis, or curvature of the spine.

Back braces are only recommended for younger children (girls between 11 and 13, and boys between 12 and 14). The primary goal of orthodontic treatment involving a back brace is to stop the progression of the curvature; braces do not normally reverse curvature that has already taken place.