Gardening & Back Strains in Castle Rock, CO

Weekend gardening can be one of life’s greatest pleasures. However, pulling weeds, raking a lawn or just digging a hole can strain the back in painful ways. Additional causes of lower back strain are the frequent squatting and kneeling required for planting, weeding, digging and raking, which involve repetitive motion as well as twisting and turning. Lifting bags of mulch, leaves or fertilizer may lead to back pain and ultimately a trip to the chiropractor’s office and bed rest.

Here’s what experts recommend to help reduce back pain for gardeners:
• Avoid squatting and bending as much as possible.
• Kneel on a soft cushion instead of bending over while weeding, planting or working close to the ground.
• Take stretch breaks every 15 to 30 minutes. Slowly stand up.
• Use a wheelbarrow instead of carrying bags of leaves, grass clippings or other yard debris to the curb for pickup.
• Never lift by simply bending over. Instead, make the leg muscles do most of the work. Grasp objects while squatting, then lift by raising the entire body, keeping the weight over the legs.
• Rake and dig only for brief periods of time. Take frequent rest breaks and alternate between left-side and right-side raking and digging.
• When loading a wheelbarrow, load material toward the front using the wheel as a pivot and use your legs to lift the wheelbarrow.
• Get assistance when lifting large bags of potting soil, mulch, fertilizer or large potted plants.
• When using a push mower, push with your legs and maintain good posture.
• Make sure you stay well hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids to replace what you have lost. This will help decrease fatigue and the chance of injury.

By following these simple, common-sense recommendations, gardening can once more become one of life’s greatest pleasures.

Chiropractic - The Solution to Chronic Headaches in Castle Rock, CO

Headaches are an unfortunate and painful part of life for many Americans. In fact, an estimated five percent of adults in this country suffer from chronic migraines or severe headache pain.

We spend billions of dollars each year on over-the-counter and prescription pain medication for relief from those nagging headaches. But these drugs have the potential to cause even more pain. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), a type of medication including OTC brands such as Advil, Motrin, and Excedrin, have been associated with side effects like stomach bleeding and ulcers, and even liver failure. In fact, one possible side effect of many NSAIDs is a headache!

And if you manage to avoid the side effects, these medications really only mask or diminish symptoms. But it’s the cause that counts and that's where chiropractic comes in. Here’s how: The nervous system is the “master system” in the body, controlling and coordinating all other systems – respiratory, immune, circulatory, etc. Sometimes, there are areas in the spine where one or more of the vertebrae may have experienced a loss of function, creating pressure on, or otherwise irritating, spinal nerves. This irritation interferes with the signals, or “communication,” traveling over those nerves, which can compromise the health and proper function of every system in the body. Regular adjustments by your chiropractor can positively affect the nervous system, aid nerve transmission and thus, the body’s ability to heal itself.

Still a skeptic? Scientific research indicates chiropractic is an effective, natural answer to headache pain. During a major 1995 study comparing several weeks of drug therapy to several weeks of chiropractic care, 82 percent of patients given drug therapy reported side effects including drowsiness, weight gain and dry mouth. Heart-related problems and glaucoma also were associated with the drug therapy. On the other hand, chiropractic patients reported no side effects. And after four weeks of treatment, patients who used drugs began having headaches again, while members of the chiropractic group continued to express headache relief, as well as higher levels of energy as compared to the drug therapy group.

So put down the pain-relief medications, talk to Dr. Matt Swager, Back 2 Health Chiropractic about your chronic headaches, and experience a natural, drug-free approach to headache relief, today!

Sports Chiropractic in Castle Rock, CO

Back 2 Health Chiropractic, Dr. Matthew Swager will help you get back in the game...FAST!

Athletes and non-athletes benefit by seeing certified sports chiropractors.

The benefits to athletes and non-athletes include:

* Faster recovery time from injury
* Access to a wider range of treatment tools
* Expertise in high-performance athletics and preventive strategies
* Guidance for athletic training
* Sports nutrition consulting
* Individualized treatment
* Sports-specific treatment and preventive exercises
* Ability to integrate treatment with training
* Holistic approach wellness model
* Latest treatments and methods developed for athletics

Sports medicine is a substantial part our practice at Back 2 Health Chiropractic in Castle Rock. Dr. Swager treats a wide range of sports-related conditions and problems, including acute injuries (those that happen suddenly), such as the dislocation of a joint and joint sprain; and over-use injuries (those that develop gradually), such as carpal tunnel, stress fractures, muscle strains and tendonitis.

As a life-long fitness enthusiast himself, Dr. Swager understands the importance that chiropractic adjustments, goal setting, perseverance and nutrition play in helping you to perform optimally.

Avoiding Painful Leg Cramps in Castle Rock, CO

Your mind has finally stopped racing and you’ve just nodded off, only to be rudely awakened by a deep knot of sudden pain in your thigh, calf or in the arch of your foot. Athletes and high heel wearers alike are often awakened from sleep by the infamous nocturnal leg cramp or “charley horse.” And though these occasional cramps usually are not serious, they are undeniably painful and downright annoying.

Check your H20 levels

The exact cause of leg cramps is not known, however, they are most often associated with dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. That said, and you’ve heard it before, drinking the optimal amount of water – 7 to 8 eight-ounce glasses of water per day – is the first line of defense against “charley.” Staying hydrated is also important for overall health, so the water speech bears repeating!

Stretch those stems

Also, simple stretches before bed can stave off cramps. Try this simple stretch before you hop into bed each night:

Stand facing the wall, 30 inches away.
While keeping your heels on the floor, lean forward, put your palms on the wall, and slowly move your hands up the wall as far as you can reach comfortably.
Hold the stretched position for 30 seconds. Release.
Repeat steps 1 through 3 two more times.
Just remember, when stretching, to take it slowly. Jolting right into a deep stretch and quick bouncing motions through the stretch are mistakes that can cause injury.

Supplement your regimen

If you’re still bothered by occasional cramping, your diet may need slight supplementation. According to Charles Kuntzleman, EdD, associate professor of kinesiology at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, taking a daily supplement of 400 IU of Vitamin E is usually very helpful. If the cramps persist, your body may be experiencing a lack of calcium and magnesium, found in dark green, leafy vegetables such as kale and broccoli. Dr. Kuntzleman suggests supplementing with daily dosages of up to 1,000 milligrams of magnesium and 500 to 1,000 milligrams of calcium.

How can chiropractic help?

Circulation is crucial for rushing nutrients from food and supplements to the areas of the body that need healing most. Chiropractic adjustments can improve circulation and greatly reduce healing time. Remember to inform or discuss with Dr. Swagger, at Back 2 Health Chiropractic in Castle Rock, CO if you’re experiencing leg/muscle cramps.