Fall in Florida is a different season than the majority of the USA. While much of the country is raking leaves, we are still mowing lawns. Keeping the yard in shape still requires work. If you aren’t enthused by fall yard work then perhaps some safety reminders are what you need to keep you running at 100% and ready to watch some football.

1.      Plan.  Make a list of what you want to accomplish for the day and then start at the top. Prepare for the tasks by getting the proper equipment needed (like knee pads if you are weeding, gloves for just about everything). Learn how to work without hurting yourself. Minimize twisting and bending.

2.      Don’t overdo it. It might seem like common sense, but unless you work in your yard everyday your body is not conditioned to do that type of work and you will feel the consequences. Plan to accomplish certain tasks over 2-3 days.

3.      Take breaks. Often times it is easy to just keep going because you feel “fine” but it is important to stop and rest. Fatigue will often come before back pain or neck pain. Many injuries sneak up on you when you are in a hurry to finish up after you are already tired. Take short breaks to sit, hydrate and eat throughout your yard work. This can help to avoid injury, muscle strain and just plain over-tiredness.

I’m looking forward to fall and all the fun memories that come with it. Pumpkin patches, trick or treating, watching football, tolerating hot chocolate (if it ever cools down), and pumpkin pie. Let yourself enjoy the season without the aches and pains. Enjoy the leaves and football (even with bad refs) and forget the herniated disc. Call us today to see how we can help you feel better.

My son loves Bob the Builder. Bob usually starts his books / videos with the question, "Can we fix it?" After which they all say together, "Yes we can!" See how that applies with scoliosis below...

The Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health (JPMFH) published a case study on August 16, 2012, documenting the case of a young girl with scoliosis who was helped with chiropractic care. An additional study published in the June 2012 issue of the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine (JCM) reports on an additional case of idiopathic scoliosis being helped with chiropractic care.

According to the authors of the JPMFH study, "Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS), which accounts for approximately 80 percent of the reported cases (of scoliosis), is the most common orthopedic deformity affecting children." Scoliosis is classified as AIS (affecting adolescent) when it is detected at age 10 or above. The authors note that this form affects between 3 and 5 percent of adolescents and is more common in girls.

The authors of the JPMFH study noted that there are two medical forms of treatment for AIS which include bracing or surgery.  They note that the bracing option carries self esteem problems as the child is required to wear the brace upwards of 23 hours per day. The surgical option is limited in results and often requires multiple procedures costing upward of half-a-million dollars.  They note that there are multiple separate studies of chiropractic helping AIS in various publications.

In the case in the JPMFH, an eleven-year-old girl was brought to the chiropractor because her mother was concerned with postural abnormalities she observed in her daughter. The JCM case involved a nine-year-old girl who was also suffering with AIS and was brought to a chiropractor. Both children received a variety of chiropractic examination procedures, and both had spinal x-rays. The x-rays were measured for curvature angles with both girls having a 22 degree curve at their worst point.

In both these cases Chiropractic care was initiated utilizing different forms of chiropractic care for each of the two girls. Both girls were seen by the chiropractor multiple times on regular schedules over several months. Both girls were also subsequently re-evaluated and comparative x-rays were performed.

Subsequent re-evaluations and x-rays showed that both the nine year-old and eleven year-old showed corrections of the curvatures measuring 55 percent and 13 percent respectively. The case in the JCM noted that the young girl did not show any psychological issues sometimes observed with other forms of care for scoliosis. The authors of the JPMFH article noted that, in addition to the curvature improvements in their case, this patient also experienced decreased pain, increased range of motion, and improved quality of sleep.

There are so many reasons why you may be suffering from a headache and too many to list here. There are some reasons that are more common than others. Frequently chiropractors see patients that are suffering from headaches and before beginning treatment, they'll attempt to identify why you are experiencing headaches to begin with.

Here are three of the more common factors that can contribute to headaches:

1.  Sleep Problems. If you’re having difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, it’s very possible you just aren’t getting enough sleep. You may be suffering from insomnia, which could be stress induced. You may also be suffering from sleep apnea, a condition where you stop breathing during sleep. Usually a person will wake up when this occurs, but not always. This can be a very dangerous condition. This disruptive sleep pattern is enough to bring on fatigue and headaches.

2. Not Eating Often Enough. If you are skipping meals or going too long in between meals, then you may find yourself with a headache and perhaps loss of appetite. While not a healthy habit, it is not difficult to break. If you are going longer than 3 or 4 hours in between meals/snacks during your waking hours, then it’s too long. Make sure you are getting a good balance of proteins, whole grains and fruits and vegetables. If you find yourself needing a snack at work or while you’re out, get into the habit of packing something portable like some whole grain crackers and string cheese. I almost always carry almonds with me just in case I'm hungry and short on time.

3. Caffeine Withdrawal. If you’re trying to give up caffeine, you will likely find yourself with a headache within 12-24 hours of quitting depending on how much and how often you have consumed caffeine. You may also be experiencing difficulty sleeping, lethargy and agitation.

Whatever your cause for a headache, you can usually find some relief from sleep, relaxing in a dark quiet room or perhaps a alternating between a cool and warm compress. A visit with your chiropractor can help you determine what the best course of treatment will be for you.

Call today to make your appointment and get relie