Archive for the ‘Health Articles’ Category
Welcome to Chiropractic Life and Wellness Center's Health Articles Archive. Here you can learn more about Chiropractic Life and Wellness Center, Chiropractic, and Dr. Brandon Chorney, today's choice for Chiropractors in New Fairfield, CT. Read Dr. Brandon Chorney's Chiropractic Health Articles for the health of it.
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by Dr. Brandon Chorney | Feb 20, 2020 | Health Articles
Workplace Ergonomics Simply Defined Workplace ergonomics is the practice of designing or redesigning an area in which a person works to the specific needs and job requirements of that person. Simply defined that for an ergonomic workplace to be created, a proper assessment of the environment must first of all take place so that appropriate...
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by Dr. Brandon Chorney | Feb 13, 2020 | Health Articles
The fastest growing health problem in the modern world is obesity. Obesity contributes to increases in the risk of other diseases and is putting an extreme strain on health budgets throughout the world. The financial implications that are associated with obesity are huge. Here are just a few statistics:
- Approximately 17% of all medical costs in the US are due to obesity and the diseases related to it, this totals an estimated $168 billion per year.
- Per year, obesity adds around $2,800 to an individual’s medical bills.
- If an 18-year-old continues to be obese throughout their adulthood, it is estimated to cost them $550,000.
- Just over one third of all US adults are obese, indicating a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher.
- It is estimated that, annually, around 300,000 premature deaths in the US are caused by obesity.
- Obesity is related to about 80% of people who suffer from Type 2 Diabetes. Since 1995 the rate of Diabetes has nearly doubled in eight states.
- Obesity is directly related to 70% of people with heart disease.
- Women on lower incomes are more likely to become obese that women on higher incomes. Just over one third of people earning less than $15,000 per year are obese. Whereas, the rate of obesity for those earning over $50,000 is 24.6%.
- The highest rates of obesity are found among non-Hispanic African Americans (44.1%) and then followed by Mexican-Americans (39.3%). The lowest rate of obesity at 16.7% is found among Asians.
- In the last 30 years childhood obesity has tripled, from 6.5% in children aged 6 to 11 years to 19.6% today.
Good health is combined by many different factors, such as nutrition, exercise and preventative care. In order to lead a healthy lifestyle you must find the balance between these factors and maintain them. It is essential that we tackle the serious problem of obesity and try to live healthier overall. If you would like to know more about obesity and how to live a healthier lifestyle, then just visit our team and see what we can do for you!
by Dr. Brandon Chorney | Feb 6, 2020 | Health Articles
In modern society stress is widely accepted and for some it is part of their daily routine. Occasional stress can help to improve our focus and performance, however chronic stress can backfire and cause anxiety, depression and many other serious health problems. We can help to relieve our stress levels by putting our daily problems and worries into perspective. There are many techniques and strategies which help to relieve the effects of stress on our physical and mental health. Here are just a few techniques that can help alleviate your stress:
Positive Thinking
Keeping a positive mindset can help to reduce your stress levels significantly. Looking at situations and having a positive outlook on them will help you to tackle them with much less stress.
Enjoy the Outdoors
For many people connecting with nature may seem hard. In a modern society where life has been made more convenient, we have been deprived of an essential connection with nature. Recent studies have shown that more interaction with nature helps to lessen the effects of stress on the body.
Try Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy has been recognized around the world as a complementary therapy for dealing with chronic stress and pain. Smelling these essential plant oils can help you unwind and relax your body and mind. In particular, lavender and orange scents have been shown to enhance levels of relaxation and reduce anxiety.
Have a Cup of Tea to Help You Relax
We use coffee during stressful times to help keep us going. Why not give yourself a break and relax with a cup of tea. Studies have shown that drinking tea for 6 weeks helps to increase relaxation and lower stress levels. Drinking tea regularly can also reduce inflammation and potentially benefit the health of your heart.
Have a Laugh
Laughter has been proven to help boost the immune system, increase pain tolerance and enhance mood and creativity. It has also been said to prevent depression by putting our troubles into perspective. Humor has been related to happiness, which has been linked to high self-esteem and feeling in control.
Maintain a Strong Support System
Social support is a key factor in reducing stress levels. Women with low social support are more likely to experience an increase in blood pressure under stress. On the other hand, those who are active and socially involved are at lower risk of developing serious health problems, for example, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Maintaining strong, healthy relationships will help to reduce your stress levels.
Try Meditation
Meditation has gained popularity over the last few decades as a key relaxation and pain relief tool. By simply focusing on our breath or concentrating on a candle, can help to tune out our stresses and distractions in life. It has been proven to enhance quality of life and potentially benefit our immune system. Visualization and guided imagery have also shown promise in stress relief and pain reduction.
Exercise Regularly
In order to get the best out of your body and mind, try exercising regularly. Exercise helps to relax your mind whilst getting your body into good physical shape. Studies have shown that exercise will reduce depression and improve wound healing in the elderly. Some forms of exercise, such as Tai Chi, are suitable for all ages and can enhance heart and lung function and can also improve balance and posture.
Whichever stress-relief method you choose, make sure that it becomes a habit and use it! Ensure that there is always time in your day to relax and have time to yourself. Visit our team and see what we can do to alleviate your stress.
by Dr. Brandon Chorney | Jan 30, 2020 | Health Articles
There are so many choices for lumbar support, but we don’t tend to look for one until we are experiencing pain. Correct support of the lumbar spine can help to prevent neck and back pain. The most important factor when looking for a support is to ensure that your spine is correctly aligned, this way you can experience the benefits of maintaining a healthy spine.
The lumbar region of the spine ranges from the top of your tailbone to just below the bottom of your rib cage. Included in this region is your spine and all of the muscles, ligaments and tendons that surround it. If you pull or tear your ligaments you will experience pain in the lumbar spine. This pain can lead to muscle spasms and pain throughout your lower back.
One of the largest contributors to pain in the lumbar spine is sitting in the wrong type of chair for your body. Some chairs can consist of hard or too soft materials and do not provide sufficient support for your spine. Other factors, such as poor posture, poor lifting technique and obesity can also increase pain in the lumbar spine.
In most cases, rest is sufficient to relieve lower back pain, however the majority of people do not have the time to rest long enough to fully overcome their pain. Therefore, the best method is to prevent these problems with correct lumbar support, especially if you spend long periods of time sitting down.
One of the first steps you need to take when buying the correct lumbar support is to ensure that it fits the chair that you spend the longest period of time in. Alternatively, you can choose an ergonomically designed chair that already has built-in lumbar support, or one that contains a lumbar support specifically designed for it. Try to avoid the “One size fits all” supports, as they rarely offer sufficient support.
One of the most important things you can do is test the product before you buy it. Try to sit with the lumbar support for at least 20 minutes and see if it aggravates your back pain or alleviates it. The higher quality lumbar supports are adjustable and can be customized to fit the chair you are using. Chairs with built-in lumbar supports generally allow you to change the height and width so that it is suitable for your spine.
A healthy spine will only benefit your well-being if it is combined with correct nutrition and exercise. If you would like more advice on lumbar supports and maintaining a healthy spine, then visit our team today and we will be more than happy to help.
by Dr. Brandon Chorney | Jan 23, 2020 | Health Articles
Both recreational and competitive cyclists will agree that the wind on your face is an exhilarating sensation. However, many cyclists suffer from pain the restricts the enjoyment of cycling. They may be easy to ignore at first, but re-occurring pain can seriously interfere with entertainment and training progress. Chiropractic care can be very beneficial in...
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by Dr. Brandon Chorney | Jan 16, 2020 | Health Articles
The roar of an engine! The roar of the crowd! The roar of wind racing by as you hold on and enjoy a day at an amusement park. Life today is fast and we play hard. Unfortunately today’s fast lifestyle can have a traumatic effect on your health.
The injury suffered is most often described as Whiplash. Car accidents are most often associated for causing whiplash injuries, however, this action can also occur when a person is participating in a sporting event or known to occur when riding on amusement park rides and sometimes as the result of a fall.
What causes Whiplash?
A whiplash injury occurs when there is an abrupt backward or forward jerking motion of the head which causes an injury to the neck where the intervertebral joints (located between vertebrae), discs, ligaments, cervical muscles, and nerve roots may become damaged. These cervical spinal injuries most frequently result when a person is struck in such a way as to cause the jerking motion of the head and neck to occur. Whiplash is then characterized by a collection of symptoms that occur following damage to the neck.
People who experience whiplash may develop one or more of the following symptoms, usually within the first few days after the injury:
- Neck pain and stiffness
- Headaches
- Pain in the shoulder or between the shoulder blades
- Low back pain
- Pain or numbness in the arm and/or hand
- Dizziness
- Difficulty concentrating or remembering
- Irritability, sleep disturbances, fatigue
It should be remembered that the effects of whiplash may take weeks or months to fully manifest, thus it cannot be assumed that no problems exist just because no symptoms are felt immediately following the accident. These symptoms should always be taken seriously no matter how insignificant they may at first appear due to the areas which are affected.
If you are not very careful, a whiplash injury may end up causing permanent damage when it is not noticed or its effect is underestimated. Around 50% of whiplash victims are still suffering the effects of their whiplash years later.
Whiplash Injury Studies
Nearly 1 out of 15 adult Americans suffers from the annoying and sometimes debilitating long-term effects of a whiplash injury, usually in the form of neck stiffness and pain. Fortunately, Chiropractic offers a very high level of help regarding relief for whiplash. Here are the conclusions of 4 separate studies cited:
- In a study published in Injury, 93 percent of 28 patients showed significant improvements following Chiropractic care. The help protocol utilized included spinal manipulation, stretching and ice therapy.
- Study results published in the Journal of Orthopedic Medicine showed similar findings. “Whiplash injuries are common. Chiropractic is the only proven effective treatment in chronic cases,” researchers said in their study conclusions.
- Finally, two separate studies published in the Journal of Manipulative Physiology and Therapy confirm Chiropractic benefits. “For chronic spinal pain in general, when compared to traditional medical approaches, Chiropractic has generally been shown to be more effective.”
Be Smart
Whiplash is a common injury that can occur in our current lifestyles. Practicing safe driving and using properly adjusted headrest restraints and seat-belts can go a long way to preventing whiplash accidents. Also, wearing the proper head gear in sporting activities, particularly for those playing a violent sport like football, can also help to prevent injury. But when painful blows to the cervical spine occur be smart and have a professional evaluation by a spinal specialist – a Chiropractor. Studies confirm that Chiropractic can provide significant help and long-term healing results.
Ask our expert Chiropractic Team what recommendations we would advise to keep your cervical spine in top condition and help you to avoid injury to your neck and back.
The fastest growing health problem in the modern world is obesity. Obesity contributes to increases in the risk of other diseases and is putting an extreme strain on health budgets throughout the world. The financial implications that are associated with obesity are huge. Here are just a few statistics:
There are so many choices for lumbar support, but we don’t tend to look for one until we are experiencing pain. Correct support of the lumbar spine can help to prevent neck and back pain. The most important factor when looking for a support is to ensure that your spine is correctly aligned, this way you can experience the benefits of maintaining a healthy spine.
