Ah, the holidays. What a wonderful time of year! It starts with Thanksgiving and heads right on through New Years, and nearly every major religion has something to celebrate during this time. But it’s also one of the most common times of year that people need to see a chiropractor.
That might sound strange, but it’s true. There are many activities during these winter months that cause people to seek out a chiropractor, and many of these activities don’t show up the rest of the year. Let’s take a look at some of the occurrences specific to the holiday season that cause people to come into our chiropractic offices in Lexington or Columbia.
Carrying Heavy Bags
People shop all year long, but not like they do during the winter holidays!
During the rest of the year, most people are shopping for themselves. They might grab a few clothes her or there, or maybe pick up a small appliance for the family. (When they do shop in bulk, it’s usually in stores that encourage you to take shopping carts out into the parking lot.)
But during Christmas, too many people try to carry everything they can. This might mean a bunch of bulky sweaters, a crock pot for the daughter who just went off to college, a few boxes of chocolates, and half a dozen other things. Even if they choose a cart while in the store, they’ll often try to carry everything out in a bunch of bags, which can cause the back to strain to one side.
Now let’s think about the mall. While the traditional American mall is on a decline as a whole, we bet you’ll visit at least one this holiday season. What do people do when they’re in the mall? The ones who think ahead park near the store where they’ll purchase the most presents so that they can head out to the car and drop stuff off. But the average person will buy something and then lug it around to a dozen more stores before the day is done. Any uneven carrying will often cause pain in the muscles of the back and maybe even legs.
Black Friday
Black Friday is one of the busiest shopping days of the year, and often one of the most hectic. Unfortunately, people often try to do stuff on Black Friday that can cause the need for chiropractic care of massage therapy. They might stand in line for hours before the doors open, and standing without much movement can cause a great deal of back pain even in those who aren’t usually susceptible.
Then there’s the crazy lifting of the bigger items. Some will try to get the 75-inch TV out to the car by themselves, and while TVs of today are certainly lighter than when they had lead tubes in them, they’re definitely not light. What can you do? Take a friend along to help you carry anything that you might think could cause you to seek out a chiropractic clinic later that day.
On Feet All Day
Black Friday and other shopping opportunities aren’t the only times that people are on their feet for lengths of time. The holidays also bring with them extended cooking sessions, where the cooks of the family are often on their feet for hours at a time. Holiday parties and choral performances can also make people stand for much longer periods than they’re normally used to.
Putting Up A Tree
If you’re one who puts up a tree, there are a couple of things to watch out for. You see, the thing about Christmas trees is that they’re not so much heavy as they are awkward. In fact, they can be awkward in more ways that one.
If you’re getting a real tree, cutting it down makes many people contort their bodies into all sorts of uncommon positions in order to get the saw into the right place. Then they use only one hand to drag the tree back to the car; this puts a great deal of strain on just one side of the body. Then they wrestle with it to get it on top of the car or into the back of the truck, which often causes a fair amount of straining as well. After all, to move a tree you often have to grab it by the trunk, and that means the weight is very far away from the body and putting extra strain on the back.
Even artificial trees can give people a great deal of trouble and send them to a chiropractor. Artificial trees can actually be heavier than real trees, and people often have to bring it up from the basement or take it down from garage shelving in order to get it into the living room. Artificial trees also cause you to reach into the center column in order to assemble it, and supporting such a heavy weight so far in front of the body can cause strain to muscles.
Long Car/Plane Rides
When most people think about actions that can hurt them and cause the need for massage therapy, sometimes it’s what they’re not doing that can be painful. And because the holidays are the times when people tend to take the longest trips in planes and cars, people often sit for unhealthy lengths. Not only is it bad for your circulatory system, but sitting down for too long can cause a great deal of aches and pains.
Sleeping On Weird Beds
Once you’ve flown or driven a great distance in order to get to a relative’s house or a hotel, you’re no longer sleeping on your own comfy bed. Often, you have no idea what kind of sleeping accommodations you might find once you get there. Maybe it will be a nice bed, or maybe it’s a pull-out couch with an old mattress.
You’ve heard the mattress commercials advising you to sleep on a good mattress because “we spend a third of our life sleeping.” And it’s absolutely true, you should sleep on a comfortable mattress in order to feel better in the morning. But when you’re away from home, you might just feel some aches and pains in the morning that you could require massage therapy.
Winter Sports
South Carolina is far from the snowiest state, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t places to ski during certain times of the year. While any sport can lay you flat on your back, skiing twists the body into positions that most people haven’t gotten into during the previous 10 months. Be sure to stretch in the weeks before a ski trip.
Slips
Again, we don’t get much snow here in our state. But the fact is, it doesn’t take much snow in order to create a slip hazard. People are more likely to slip during winter than at any other part of year, which could bring them into our chiropractic clinic seeking help.
What Can Chiropractic Care Do?
No matter how the winter months treat you, there’s a very good chance that a chiropractic appointment with our Lexington or Columbia doctors will help. Start the process right here, and have a great holiday season!
While we often talk about the various chiropractic treatments we offer — writing blogs about cold laser therapy, Kinesio taping, and cryotherapy — it’s not just the treatments that bring people into our chiropractic office. While we love to tell you about the variety that we can offer, we’d also like to help you choose the right chiropractor. In fact, we’d like to help you find the best chiropractor in Columbia, SC.
At Flex Chiropractic, we think you deserve the best chiropractic treatments available. That’s why we have spent so much time and effort assembling the necessary pieces to deliver an excellent chiropractic experience to anyone who walks through our doors. Let’s take a look at what you can expect.
The Doctors
At Flex Chiropractic, we have two doctors on staff in order to provide the ultimate in chiropractic care. And that’s kind of a big deal, because not every chiropractor is actually a doctor, so you have to be careful when choosing a chiropractic clinic. Here’s a bit more information about the two doctors we have here at Flex.
Dr. Angela Larson got her Doctor of Chiropractic license from Northwestern Health Sciences University in Bloomington, Minnesota. Before that, she attended Michigan State University and graduated with a BS in Human Biology.
Dr. Felicia Danio is a graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic and is board-certified as a Doctor of Chiropractic. She has her bachelor’s degree in Community Health from Florida Gulf Coast University.
The Staff
We know that a patient’s interactions aren’t just with the doctors themselves. That’s why we’ve assembled the best staff possible, whether they’re working as an office manager, masseuse, rehab specialist, or in any other capacity. No matter what service you’re here for, you’re sure to be comfortable working with our staff.
The Options
As we discussed before, we’re often writing about the many treatment options you’ll find at our Columbia chiropractic office. We offer the latest and greatest chiropractic methods available, including traditional chiropractic adjustments, decompression, and use of Pro Adjusters. We also have massage therapy and kinesiology taping in order to help muscles. On top of that, we have the latest in high-tech equipment so that we can offer cold-laser therapy, electrical stimulation, and ultrasound therapy.
Having all of these under one roof means that you’ll be able to experience the different types of relief they offer without having to run all over town. When the doctor takes a look at x-rays or does a physical examination, she can come up with a perfect combination of treatments that can give a patient relief in the shortest possible time.
The Facility
We know that people need to be comfortable when working with a local chiropractor, and that’s why we have a very comfortable facility at 1811 Bull St. You’ll feel right at home when you meet our staff and wait in the waiting room.
Our Rating
The truth is, all chiropractic clinics are not the same. In fact, there are a few that we certainly wouldn’t recommend to you based on their reputation. We’re not going to name them directly, but we’re sure that a few searches for “chiropractor near me” will bring up some negative reviews for some of them.
When you search for the Columbia branch of Flex Chiropractic, you’re going to find some amazing Google reviews. As we write this, we have a 4.9 out of 5, which makes us pretty sure we’re doing something right! That number alone makes us pretty sure we’re the best chiropractors in Columbia, but we hope you’ll find for yourself.
We Want To Work With You!
We want to help as many people in Columbia as possible get the chiropractic care they need. While there are many good (and not-so-good) chiropractors around, we like to think that we’re the best chiropractors around. If you’re ready to get the most advanced chiropractic care around, contact Flex Chiropractic today!
Finding the right chiropractor to help you on your journey to optimal health and wellness can be challenging, but at Flex Chiropractic, our mission is to go the extra mile to ensure you get the care you deserve. Your first chiropractic care visit will involve some unique steps that will help us best understand your condition and create a treatment plan tailored to your needs. Learn more about what you can expect during your first chiropractic care visit below, then schedule your visit in Lexington or Columbia today!
When most people think of what goes on in a chiropractic office, they often think of chiropractors physically manipulating every patient. And while chiropractic adjustments are a big part of what we do here, there are also machines we use to give people the relief they’re looking for; chiropractic medicine has become very high-tech! Sometimes we use electrical stimulation, and other times it’s ultrasound or cold laser therapy. Today we’re going to talk about another important method we use to help those who come to our chiropractic clinic: spinal decompression therapy.
What Is Spinal Decompression Therapy?
Spinal decompression therapy is a non-surgical procedure that involves a specialized table that can gently stretch the spine. A patient’s top half and bottom half are strapped to a table. While the top remains stationary, the legs and pelvis are pulled away, relieving pressure on the spine. Because this table is motorized, it can be very finely tuned for each patient.
How Does It Work?
There are two prevailing theories as to why patients tend to feel better after spinal decompression therapy. Both of these might actually come into play during the therapy.
Sessions for spinal decompression at a chiropractic clinic tend to last from 30 to 45 minutes, during which time gently pressure is applied and then reduced.
Who Is It For?
Spinal decompression therapy is most often used as a lower back pain treatment. It has also been found to help those who are having leg pain, or anyone experiencing weakness or tingling in the legs.
Spinal decompression can also help those with worn spinal joints (aka posterior facet syndrome) or injured spinal nerve roots.
How Often Is It Performed?
Spinal decompression is not a something that helps with just a single session. There are often 15 or more treatments over the course of a month, but the number recommended by a chiropractor might change depending on the patient’s injury.
Spinal traction can also be combined with other treatments in order to increase blood flow and decrease healing time. A chiropractor might also suggest heat and/or cold therapy, electrical stimulation, and or therapeutic ultrasound.
Is It Painful?
No, there should be no pain associated with decompression therapy either during the procedure or afterward. While the idea might sound scary at first, this kind of therapy is very gentle and cannot stretch the spine to dangerous degrees.
During the procedure a patient will feel the process of the spine being compressed, and while it might seem a bit weird at first there’s also the relief that can come from the process.
Contact About Spinal Decompression Therapy!
We’d love to talk to you about the benefits of spinal decompression therapy and how we’ve seen it help those who visit our chiropractic clinics in Columbia and Lexington. We look forward to hearing from you!
As you’ve probably noticed, many chiropractic offices are going beyond treatments that would have been found in clinics of the past. While chiropractic started out as simply adjustments, modern offices will offer a large variety of treatments such as kinesiology taping, ultrasounds, cold-laser therapy, massage, and electrical stimulation. Today we’re going to talk about another way that we can help our patients: cryotherapy.
When we offer cryotherapy to our patients, they are often unsure of what we’re talking about. That’s because, while the effects of cold as a way of treating the human body have been known for a long time, it’s just recently made its way into chiropractic practices. Let’s take a look at how it works and how it might be able to make you feel better.
What Is Cryotherapy?
If you’ve ever used an ice pack to reduce swelling to a sore muscle, or put a cold washcloth on your forehead in order to cool down, you’ve experienced the benefits of cold used to make the body feel better. In short, it’s any form of body cooling for therapeutic purposes.
Clinical cryotherapy goes well beyond cold compresses, though, and uses special equipment to cool specific parts of the body.
How Is It Performed?
There are two popular methods that are most commonly found at some local chiropractors. The first is spot cooling, which is where a canister of super-cooled liquid is used to cool specific areas of the body. (Think of it as a can of compressed air that gets temperatures much lower.)
The second type is a whole-body cryotherapy chamber, which is large enough for a person to step into.
Who Can It Help?
Cryotherapy has three very distinct ways in which it can help those who visit a chiropractic office.
Reduced Pain
Those who undergo cryotherapy, whether it’s because of muscular or skeletal pain, often see a reduction in pain. That’s often due to…
Reduced Inflammation
Cryotherapy reduces inflammation and swelling, which can actually speed up the healing process after an injury. This is most likely brought about thanks to…
Increased Blood Flow
The body redirects blood flow to areas of the body that are cold. Using cryotherapy to cool parts of the body ensure that blood (including the oxygen and nutrients it carries) is directed to the parts of the body that are coldest.
Is Cryotherapy Right For You?
Cryotherapy might sound uncomfortable at first, but most patients actually feel very invigorated by it. Still, it’s not for everyone, as the invigoration it offers can affect those with certain medical conditions. Before we offer it as an option for you, we’ll be sure to ask you about your medical history.
Let’s Talk About Cryotherapy!
We’ve seen some excellent benefits for those who have sought cryotherapy out, and we’d love to talk to you about how it might help. Whether you’ve recently experienced an injury or are simply looking to increase blood flow to painful areas, we’re ready to discuss this wonderful treatment. Contact your local chiropractor in Columbia or Lexington and discover the benefits of cryotherapy!
When most people head to a chiropractic office, the pain or discomfort they’re experiencing at the moment is everything on their mind. If they have neck pain, they’re not usually sitting in the waiting room thinking “I wonder what that previous person was in for?” In the moment, everything is about their particular pain and how to get rid of it.
If this sounds familiar, you might be surprised at the wide array of problems that chiropractic can take care of. Let’s take a look.
Neck Pain
Since we already mentioned this one, we’ll start here. Neck pain can occur for many reasons. Some of these are caused immediately (such as a car injury), while other neck pains can crop up over time (because of a bad pillow or posture at work).
Chiropractors can help with both of these situations. If the pain isn’t recurring, they might simply suggest a massage to hasten the healing process. If there’s a tear in the soft tissue of the neck, they can make adjustments with chiropractic care. They can also suggest particular exercises or lifestyle changes to prevent the problems from returning.
Headaches
Headaches are another of the most common maladies that people come in with. It might not be obvious how chiropractic care can help with headaches; after all, there’s no joint to manipulate in the skull. But many headaches are the result of problems within the back, or, even more likely, the neck. Interestingly, there might not even be pain in either of those areas, but misalignments could cause headaches all the same.
Herniated Discs
Lumbar discs are spongy masses of connective tissue that both cushion the bones of the spine and keep them in place. Each disc is made up of a harder outer portion and a softer, gel-like inner part. (We won’t blame you if you think of it as a jelly donut.) When the outer part is damaged, some of the gel portion of the disc can escape. This is called a herniated disc. Herniated discs can occur because of an injury, but the natural aging process is the most common reason that discs love their hydration and begin to deteriorate. Other factors that can cause a herniated disc include repetitive stress, poor nutrition, tobacco use, genetics, or being overweight.
Herniated discs can be minor or very severe. The chiropractor will first determine the severity of the disc problem by doing a manual examination and checking your reflexes, sensation in the extremities, and strength. If you are a candidate for chiropractic care, spinal manipulation is often used as a means of taking stress off the disc so that it can have room to expand and heal.
Sciatica
The sciatic nerve runs from the lower spine down both legs and into the feet and is the largest nerve in the human body. When this nerve becomes inflamed, pain can travel all along the path. Pain is most often felt in the lower back but can also occur as far are beneath the knee.
The most common reason for sciatica, also known as sciatic nerve pain, is lumbar disc herniation pressing directly on the nerve. Sometimes bone or muscle could also cause the nerve to be pinched. A chiropractic clinic is most likely to treat it with a chiropractic adjustment or massage therapy.
Lower Back Strain
Unlike slipped and bulging discs, lower back strain comes from problems with muscles. These muscles are damaged with they are stretched or torn in an abnormal way. Chiropractors and their staff will treat muscles strains with massage, cold-laser therapy, or ultrasound.
Scoliosis
When a skeleton is viewed from the side, there should be curvature. But when viewed from behind, it’s best if the spine is straight up and down. Scoliosis is defined as a spine that has a lateral curvature of more than 10%.
Many people have mild cases of scoliosis, but when it gets too severe it can cause pain, discomfort, and problems with movement. Symptoms can be one hip higher than the other, uneven shoulders, or one shoulder blade that’s higher than the other. The cause of most scoliosis is unknown, but it most often occurs during puberty.
How can a chiropractor help? Most often they will make a diagnosis based on the factors mentioned above, as well as a visual and manual confirmation. X-rays might also be taken so that there is a baseline to see the changes that occur thanks to treatment. Spinal manipulation is often employed, as well as exercises that can strengthen certain muscles and encourage them to pull on the spine in a new manner.
Pregnancy- and Childbirth-related Pain
Pregnancy and childbirth can put a lot of stress on the body. While most people think about the physical changes in a woman’s body that can be seen, there are many hidden pains that can be experienced.
One of the most common problems that pregnant women experience is low back pain and pelvic pain. In fact, nearly half of them experience considerable pain in either of those areas. It makes sense, since the spine and pelvis are carrying around considerably more weight than usual. Common chiropractic practices include adjustments of the back and pelvis. Chiropractors can also suggest exercises that can help alleviate some of these pains.
Bursitis
Everyone has heard of the discs in the spinal column that reduce friction and cushion the vertebrae, but not many people have heard of bursas. Bursas as small sacs filled with lubricating fluid throughout the body. Bursas don’t just help lubricate the space between bones but also help whenever bones, tendons, skin, and muscles interact. The irritation or inflammation of any bursa in the body is known as bursitis.
Unfortunately, as bursas help reduce impact, they’re taking a lot of the friction upon themselves. In the chiropractic world, we deal most often with bursae (the plural of bursa) found at bone joints. The most common places we’ll treat include the hip, knee, shoulder, heal, ankle, and elbow.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Thanks to changes in office ergonomics, many cases of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) have been avoided. But that doesn’t mean that it isn’t still a serious problem. It is most often described as a numbness or tingling in the hand (and/or arm) caused by pinched nerves in the wrist. Chiropractors can begin by making adjustments and then ordering specific exercises and stretching of the wrist.
While the above is far from the only problems we treat, they are some of the most common. We’d love to see you if you are having any of those problems so that we can treat you non-invasively. Contact Flex Chiropractic today!
In the days of phone books, how did you know that you could trust someone? In the days before people typed “chiropractor near me” into a search engine, how did people decided that a chiropractic clinic was the right one for them and that others were actually finding relief from the chiropractic care they received?
The fact is, you couldn’t make a good decision based on a phone book ad. At most you could think to yourself “that company has the biggest and flashiest ad, so people must be supporting them enough to pay for it.” Not exactly a reliable way to choose someone who’s treating your health.
Luckily, today there are ways to verify that you’ll almost certainly get an excellent experience at a local chiropractor. While there are problems with some review platforms (ahem, Yelp), Google reviews and Top Rated Local are some of the most trustworthy out there. We’re proud to say that we have extremely high ratings on both platforms, and that’s certainly no accident. We work hard every day to ensure we treat each of our clients with the utmost respect. Today we’re going to take a look at what people are saying after they visit our family chiropractic office.
Let’s start with Generosa Tummond.
“I have been a patient for many years. Despite having many patients to see, Dr. Larson never rushes through my appointments. She answers any questions I have. She genuinely wants to educate her patients to optimize their success in getting better. The Flex staff and other doctors are always friendly and helpful. Keep up the great work!”
— Generosa Tummond
Thanks for writing in, and we’re glad you keep coming back to us for your chiropractic needs. Repeat business is the primary way that businesses survive, so it’s always good to see a familiar face walk through the door.
You’re right in saying that we have many patients to see, but we make sure to leave enough time so that we properly care for each one. There’s the occasional time when we get behind, but in general we’re able to stay on top of the situation thanks to the excellent chiropractic clinic staff we’ve hired. (As you’ve noticed, our staff isn’t just good at their jobs but are also “friendly and helpful.”)
Thanks for noticing how devoted our chiropractors are to educating our patients. The fact is, we know how important education is when it comes to health. We want our patients to ask questions, because the more information we can relay, the healthier they’ll be.
Okay, let’s take a look at what JaQuan Riley has to say.
“I had my first appointment yesterday and from the time I signed in, til the time I left, I received 100% satisfaction! Those ladies took care of me, and ordered what I needed before I left. I’m looking forward to my future visits, and will keep you all updated on the results. Great Job so far Flex Chiropractic!”
— JaQuan Riley
When we heard from Generosa up above, we were hearing from someone who’s been coming for years. Now we hear from JaQuan who just had her first appointment. And they both seem equally happy!
JaQuan, we’re very glad you mentioned that it was your first time in. We treat everyone who walks through our doors with respects, and we know that those who come to our chiropractic clinic are trusting us with some aspect of their help. We’re deeply honored when they do, so no matter whether you’re a customer who’s been coming to us for years or if it’s your first time in, we’ll treat you well.
Finally, you mention that you’re looking forward to future visits. That’s not something you hear about most health visits, is it? Not many people say “I’m so happy to go to the dentist today” or “I can’t wait to get my flu shot.” The fact that you were so happy with your care that you’re looking forward to coming back is certainly a ringing endorsement.
Finally, let’s hear from Amanda.
“Super knowledgeable and friendly staff. Holistic and compassionate approach to chiropractic care. Have been a client for several years and have worked through many issues including back, hip, and knees. Clinician has collaborated with other professionals to provide best treatment possible.”
— Amanda Nemenz
Thanks for telling us how you feel, Amanda. We’re glad you noticed how knowledgeable our staff is. Because we’re so respected, we’re able to draw some of the best staff in the area to work for our chiropractic office, which only increases the level of care that we deliver.
You use the word holistic, and we’re glad you did. All to often the medical community will be very myopic when it comes to looking at problems, when in fact the body is so interconnected that fixing one problem can end up fixing others. We want to treat your health as a whole, not just throw medicine at the symptoms.
Contact Flex Chiropractic Today!
If our client’s own words have convinced you that chiropractic care at our office is right for you, we look forward to hearing from you. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.
We’d like to thank you for stopping by our new and improved website for Flex Chiropractic’s offices in Lexington and Columbia. For over two decades our doctors have been serving the people of South Carolina, helping them with a variety of ailments, including lower back pain, treatments for neck pain relief, and joint stiffness.
We’re very proud of our chiropractic clinic, and perhaps we’re most proud of the continuing education we seek out as new and effective treatments continue to be developed. Let’s take a look at the many types of services we offer.
Diagnosing
You can’t treat a problem until more is known about it. We’ll perform an examination that’s specifically tailored to each individual. After all, someone might come in thinking that they’ve cracked a vertebra when in fact they have a bulging disk. Both are obviously problems that are of considerable concern, but they must be treated in very different ways.
We’ll start off by talking with you to discover how and when the pains occurs. Is it chronic, or was it triggered by a very specific act? By finding out more about your medical history (and any family history that could inform the situation), we’ll be that much closer to finding out what’s wrong.
Of course, there’s also the physical examination that can be very informative. We’ll perform a visual and manual examination of the affected area. By having you move in certain ways — or discovering that you are not able to move in certain ways — we can discover your range of motion and what maladies might be plaguing you. We can help you determine whether you are suffering from slipped discs, pinched nerves, disc bulges, and more. If the problem isn’t obvious, we can also employ the use of CT scans, MRIs, or x-rays to help diagnose the problem. We can also compare them to previous diagnostic imaging scans you’ve had to see where changes might have occurred.
Chiropractic Care
You won’t be surprised to learn that chiropractic care is our primary form of treating people. It’s in our name and is one of the most common types of treatments used to treat problems such as lower back pain and neck pain. Chiropractic care has been around for over a hundred years and has helped millions of people, and we’re proud to be a part of such an important part of our patients’ lives.
If you’ve had chiropractic treatments before, you’re aware of the wonders that it can perform when it comes to neck and back relief. If you’ve never experienced it and are a bit trepidatious, you can put your mind at ease; it’s not as traumatic as you might think! We can help you reduce the amount of pain in your life.
Spinal Decompression Therapy
Spinal decompression involves a patient lying on a special table in an effort to relieve pressure on the spine. By slightly stretching the back and the spine, decompression works much in the same way as another type of medical procedure you might have heard about called traction.
Decompression can serve many purposes in your quest for feeling better. First of all, it can give disks the space to return to a more normal position. Second, it can help to increase blood flow, which brings nutrients and your body’s healing processes to the area. Finally, taking pressure off the spine can reduce pain, an effect that just about everyone is looking for when they visit their local chiropractor
Pregnancy Adjustments
Did you know that pregnancy is one of the most common times for a woman’s spine to get out of alignment? Much of this is due to the new ways in which a woman must stand as her weight increases, and the many different ways in which she might try to sleep that don’t feel quite normal. Over the nine months, a lot can get misaligned in the spine.
The good news is that pregnant women don’t have to suffer. We have extensive experience helping pregnant and new mothers get their spines and other joints back into alignment so that they can feel as good as possible.
Ultrasound
Ultrasound is often used in conjunction with other chiropractic methods to help patients relieve pain and increase mobility. It uses a small wand and conductive jelly to send the ultrasonic waves through the skin and into a disc or muscle. The purpose is to reduce swelling and increase blood flow to the affected area. There’s no pain or discomfort associated with the procedure.
The word ultrasound might sound familiar because of the type of medical imaging that sees inside the body, but this type of ultrasound is different. There’s no image because it uses a different frequency and has no receiver head.
Electrical Stimulation
Electrical stimulation involves having adhesive pads placed on the body and mild electrical impulses are delivered to the area in which you are feeling pain, whether it’s the legs, neck, back, shoulder, or knee. The typical goal of electrical simulation is to increase blood flow and reduce swelling in the area that ails you.
Cryotherapy
Cryotherapy is a new and promising method of helping to reduce inflammation in the body. As you might know, reducing inflammation can not only help parts of your body that are hurting but also your internal organs.
The idea of cryotherapy is to reduce the temperature of the skin very quickly. When this happens, the skin sends signals to the brain that it’s getting very cold very quickly. The brain responds by pumping the blood with more oxygen, nutrients, and enzymes. Endorphins are released as well. When the cryotherapy ends, this “super blood” is then pumped throughout the body via a process called vasodilation, reducing pain and inflammation.
Cold Laser Therapy
Cold laser therapy is a low-level laser therapy (LLLT) that works along the same lines as an ultrasound but uses a specific bandwidth of light instead. It’s called cold laser therapy because it uses non-thermal photons that are associated with the lasers you might be familiar with. These light waves interact directly with the cells, stimulating them. Many of our patients have experienced a reduction in pain, inflammation, and edema in the treated area.
Everyone in our chiropractic clinic is dedicated to helping you get the most from your time with us. After we deduce what’s bothering you, we’re ready to employ every method at our disposal to give you the relief you need, both immediate and long-term. We’ve helped thousands of clients during our decades in business, and we’re proud to say that we’re able to offer more relief than ever before. If you’re suffering, we’re ready to help. Contact our Lexington office or Columbia office today!
This year has been an unusual one for most people. The worldwide pandemic has surely changed the way many people work, travel, and go to school. With a continued focus on social distancing, many businesses are allowing their employees to work from the safety of their own homes. While this is a good idea for helping to prevent the spread of the virus, working in a different environment that may not be set up for ergonomics is taking a toll on many people’s backs.
In today’s blog from Flex Chiropractic, we want to help those of you who are working from home by giving you some tips to help prevent and manage back pain. Keep reading, and if you’re in need of a chiropractic adjustment, contact Flex Chiropractic in Columbia.
Tip #1: Avoid sitting for long periods
If you were lucky enough to have a standing desk at work, then you’re probably missing it now that you’re working from home. When you sit for extended periods at your desk, it constricts the blood flow in your legs and puts pressure on your spine. Experts even say that sitting for too long too often can be bad for your heart and brain. Long story short, feel better, and stay healthy by setting a reminder to get up every half hour or as often as possible.
Tip #2: Move around at least once an hour
It’s not enough to just stand up every so often, your body needs to move to really get the blood pumping. Although you might not be able to take a 10-minute break every hour, try to at least do some stretches at your desk or even do a few jumping jacks. If you have a conference call, consider using a wireless headset so you can walk during your meeting. And, when you can get away from your desk don’t just go to another room and sit down — walk up and down the stairs a few times, take a walk down to the mailbox, or take your dog for a stroll around the block.
Tip#3: Invest in a good chair
When you do sit down, having a good chair can make all the difference in how your back feels. Look for a chair with the right combination of cushion and support and then make sure it’s the right height for your desk. If you’re short, you may have to use a lumbar support cushion and use a footrest to help keep your feet securely planted. If you’re hunched over, have to reach for your keyboard, or are sitting on the edge of your seat, you’ll need to make adjustments or find a better fitting chair.
Tip #4: Make sure your computer monitor is at the right height
Many people experience back and neck pain because their computer monitor isn’t at the right height. Oftentimes, people will be sitting at a level that requires them to look down at their monitor. This puts great stress on your neck muscles and can cause your back to get out of alignment.
The next time you’re at your desk, look at your monitor — is your head completely straight and level? If not, you’ll want to invest in a stand that can put your screen at the right height.
Tip #5: Avoid working from the couch or in bed
Have you always wished you didn’t have to get up and get ready for work each morning? Now that you have that option, you might be tempted just to reach for your laptop and work in your PJs without even getting out of bed. As comfy as it sounds, working from your bed or even a couch can wreak havoc on your back. You won’t have support where you need it, plus sitting hunched over restricts your breathing, reduces circulation, and is just plain bad for you.
Visit Flex Chiropractic in Columbia
If you’re struggling to adjust to working from home and you’re experiencing more aches and pains than usual, it might be time to come into Flex for a chiropractic adjustment. With an aligned spine you’ll likely experience less pain and tension in your back and neck and you’ll be ready to take on whatever the remainder of 2020 throws your way. Call us today at 803-262-0034 or visit our website to schedule an appointment.
In the articles we’ve written, we’re usually telling you about some service that our chiropractic clinic offers, whether it’s traditional chiropractic treatments, spinal decompression therapy, cold-laser therapy, or any of a number of health treatments that we offer at both our Lexington and Columbia chiropractic offices.
Every so often we like to do something a little different, such as letting our clients do the talking. We’re quite proud of the number score we get from the various review sites like Google, Facebook, and Top Rated Local, but it’s also very important to read the reviews to find out exactly what our clients are trying to tell us. Let’s take a look at some specific Facebook reviews, followed by our responses.
“Wow, we have been blown away by the service and the kindness and sincerity here. Our family went for about a year to one of the more larger chiropractors in town. They were nice people but crazy expensive but that was our first time in chiropractic care, so we didn’t really know any different…If you want a drive thru chiropractor who is going to treat you the same as everyone else so they can move a lot of people through in a short time then go somewhere else. But if you want a place that take the time to learn what your body needs and then make those necessary adjustments then come here!”
— Hart Traylor
So glad you wrote a review for us, Hart! While we welcome competition from other chiropractors in Lexington or Columbia, we’re very happy that you noticed what set us apart. We’re certainly happy that you were able to get adequate care at one of the bigger chiropractic offices, but we’ve heard from more than one customer that many of them are charging far too much for their services.
We’re also happy to hear that you’ve noticed how we treat our patients. We make sure to treat each patient as an individual. Sometimes we hear people complain about other chiropractors by saying “they diagnosed me before they even met me,” meaning that the chiropractor had a playbook of standard procedures that they seldom deviated from.
At Flex Chiropractic, we make sure to listen to every patient so that we can come up with a very specific treatment plan. Sometimes back pain relief involves manual chiropractic treatments, and other times it’s a good idea to introduce ultrasound therapy. Every person is different, as is their injury/pain, so our doctors always make sure to treat everyone individually.
“I have never felt so comfortable going to a medical office before. Even when I got my treatment l had my son with me and they offered to play with him and keep him company during my xrays. We are excited to start the process of feeling better!”
— Ohoni Kialani
Thanks for writing in, Ohani. We’re so pleased that you felt comfortable when you stepped into our office. We understand that it’s not just the care our doctors give you, but also the way you’re treated by the entirety of the staff, that reflects on our chiropractic clinic.
We also understand that everyone who walks in is at a different part of their treatment plan. Some people are coming in for wellness chiropractic visits. Other clients are walking in for the first time, having never seen a chiropractor before; they might even be skeptical. Treating everyone with respect and giving them the time they deserve is an important part of their treatment.
If you go to our Lexington chiropractor, prepare to feel even more comfortable! You’ll be dealing with the same great staff, but we’ve moved to a newly renovated office at 305 Columbia Ave that’s closer to the center of Lexington. There’s a lot more space in our new clinic, so we’ll be able to offer even more services to a growing number of clients. But don’t worry, we’ll still keep the level of service that Hart was mentioning above.
Okay, let’s take a look at one more review today.
“Been going here for many many years and have recommended them to others over the years. They understand how my lifestyle affects my back and neck and always know what to do to get me back on track.”
— Maribeth Corbett
We’re glad to have had you in for treatments for so many years as well, Maribeth!
You talk about how your lifestyle affects your back, and that’s true for most of us. We always try to give our patients advice on how their daily lives affects their bodies, and will offer advice on exercises to do to help the body recover when it’s not in our chiropractor’s office. But sometimes there are areas of your life — such as work — that are hard to change and lead to the need for more chiropractic. We’re always dedicated to helping people find the treatments they need when they’re here and making them fit into their daily lifestyle.
Call Flex Chiro Today!
If you’re looking for chiropractic care in Lexington or Columbia, we hope the reviews from our customers have convinced you that Flex Chiropractic is the best choice. Want to read more reviews? Click here to find out even more about us!
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