How do you know if you have an unhealthy spine?

Symptoms such as headache, neck or back pain, numbness, tingling or other health problems can often be caused by spinal misalignments (called “subluxations”).

These misalignments can be caused by ordinary movements or by intense trauma to the spine (such as a car accident or other injury).  Because these misaligned vertebrae can affect the function of the spinal cord and nervous system, it is vital that the spine be checked for misalignments.

Some of the obvious symptoms of spinal misalignments include:

• Your heels wear out unevenly
• You have headaches, back aches, neck pain, stiffness or soreness in muscles or joints
• Your foot flares out when walking
• You are often fatigued, have poor circulation, low resistance to disease or infection
• You can’t turn your head or hips equally to either side
• You feel stiff getting out of bed each morning
• Your posture is not correct

Many spinal misalignments however give NO warning signs, like a cavity before it becomes painful.  Even though you can’t feel them, they can adversely affect your health.  For this reason I recommend to my patients in Livermore to bring in their family members including their children to get checked before the warning signs set in and the problem has gotten out of control. For more information on getting your spine checked contact us.

Does your child need to see a chiropractor?

There seems to be so many myths about chiropractic treatment for kids. Some people’s mouths drop open when they hear about babies and small children getting spinal adjustments in my office in Livermore while others understand the value. The question boils down to when and why would a baby or child need to see a chiropractor?

The answer lies in understanding the body. All the body parts and systems are controlled by the brain (that seems simple enough) and that control is communicated through the spinal cord and out the nerves. The nerves exit through the spine and travel to all the body parts.  When bones mis-align it can cause pressure on those delicate nerves causing an interruption to the communication therefore affecting the body’s function. Did you also know that pain receptors are located on those nerves? No wonder why pinched nerves can also cause pain (headaches, neck pain, tingling, back pain, leg pain etc.).

So why wouldn’t a baby who was traumatically pulled out of the womb be checked for spinal mis-alignments so that their communication system can work optimally?  Why wouldn’t a baby who falls over trying to crawl or walk get their spine checked? Many of my patients bring in their children regularly (maybe once every 4-6 weeks) and have their children checked for these misaligned vertebrae.  What many parents have found that getting their child treated in my office relieves ear infections, bowel issues, allergies and other common childhood conditions.

So again, should your child see a chiropractor? Only if they have bones mis-aligned. That’s why it is best they are checked by a chiropractor and you too for that matter!

For more information on this subject or to have your child checked complimentary in our office this month in September contact us.

Children get their back and backpacks checked in Livermore, CA

With the new school year on it’s way, many of my patients have brought their child in complaining of bad posture and back complaints.  It is important to realize that backpacks are a huge contributor to children’s spinal problems and postural issues that lead to chronic neck and back pain in their adulthood. 

There are three main areas to be concerned about when it comes to a safe backpack:  Choosing the right backpack, wearing the backpack and finally the weight of the backpack.

1. Choosing the correct backpack- Often times, kids want a one shoulder or across the body style of bag which might be hip but it is not as safe as a two strap  back pack to carry their heavy items.  When selecting the bag, make sure they try it on and the straps fit properly so that the bag is snug to the body.  It is also important to choose a bag that has wide padded straps so that the straps don’t put pressure on the shoulders and possibly risk your child from having their nerves to their arms affected.  It is also important that the bag isn’t too large.  When your child wears their backpack, the bottom of the bag should sag to their buttocks and below. This can cause tension in the muscles of the neck and back and create spinal injuries.
2. Wearing the backpack correctly-Often times kids wear their backpack on one shoulder which is a quick way to create mis-aligned vertebrae and subluxations.  Over time chronic back, shoulder and neck pain can become a problem from this habit.  Both straps should be worn on both shoulders and the straps should fit snug.  It is also important that your child learn to lift their bag up properly to avoid back muscle strain. As with lifting a heavy box by bending at the knees, it is also a good idea to teach your child to lift their bag by bending their knees and using the muscles of their legs instead of their back.  It is a good idea to look for a bag that has a waist band and padding in the back so that the bag will fit more comfortably and take off pressure from the back.
3. Weight of the backpack-This is a huge deal as so many children now have to lug all their books back and forth from school without any locker use.  The rule of weight is that the weight of the backpack should not exceed 15% of your child’s body weight.  So check out the math, if your child weighs 80 pounds, their backpack should only be 8-10 pounds in weight.  Not very heavy!  That is why it is a good idea to make sure that they only carry necessary items in their bag and to purchase paperback books if possible.  If the bag has compartments which I recommend, it is best to use all the compartments and keep the heaviest books closes to the back as it offers more core and back support.

Lastly, remember if your child is complaining of neck pain or you notice their posture slouching have them checked by your chiropractor to make sure they are not injuring their spines.

This month of September at Haque Chiropractic we will be check children’s posture and their backpacks complimentary. Call us at (925) 960-1960 to make an appointment today!

Why suffer with foot pain when there are natural solutions available?

Plantar fasciitis is a diagnosis often given to patients who have pain in their feet and a thickening of the tendons on the bottom of their feet.  It is a general diagnosis  but the treatment protocol from M.D.s are to rest, ice, take anti-inflammatory drugs, possibly cortisone injections and physical therapy.  Sometimes this protocol will work for a period of time but most often, I see patients who have had this condition for years without significant improvement. At the end of it, their condition is at a cost to their quality of life.  Many don’t run any more, exercise or walk for long periods because of their condition that they become accustomed to. 

The good news: other treatment options do exist that are in many cases MORE EFFECTIVE! And yes, without drugs and without surgery!  The feet are indubitably the foundation to our bodies. The 26 bones that make up each foot can mis-align, pull on tendons and ligaments and cause irritation and pain.  An effective treatment option in my office with my patients is the following:

When a patient comes in complaining of pain in their feet, ankles, knees hips and/or lower back pain, we examine the arches of their feet. There are three arches that make up the feet and when they are all present that tells us that the foot is moving properly allowing the joints above (ankle, knees hips, etc.) to also move correctly.  When an arch is lost or too pronounced, the biomechanics of the body will shift as the ligaments, muscles and tendons will move differently and since everything all connects together it will cause improper motion of joints and things can/will misalign and cause pain and irritation.

Once the actual shift of the bone, loss of arch or exact cause of the pain is determined after an evaluation, we will focus on re-aligning the bones of the foot correctly, support the feet with custom-made orthotics (if necessary) reset the tendons and work out the scar tissue that has developed in the ligaments that has in some cases caused significant loss of motion of the foot and extreme pain. The results are that the patient will regain proper movement of their feet and joints above and resume a happy motion-filled life again!

Know someone who has been suffering with foot/ankle pain? Have them contact us for evaluation and possible treatment at our office.

Do you know the SAFETY PIN  CYCLE?

A subluxation (or spinal misalignment) is just like an unhooked safety pin.  The cycle or loop is broken and the communication between the brain and the body is altered or interfered with.  Imagine in the picture on the left that the brain and body are communicating perfectly.  In the picture on the right there is a s Subluxation. 

Many people are not aware that symptoms in their body whether it be pain, stomach dysfunction etc may be caused by a subluxation! Make sure the ones you love have been checked in our office!

The close relationship to the jaw and head creating problems for a patient in Livermore, CA

Quite often, when a new patient comes into my office in Livermore complaining of chronic headaches they will admit to having clicking and/or pain in their jaw also.  Most of these patients are surprised that I ask about their jaw and are usually puzzled when I tell them that the two can be connected.   The jaw bone connects into the skull right in front of the ear.  The jaw is made up of the bone and a disc of fluid which helps with all the shock absorption required with the hundreds of thousands of times we open and close our jaw. 

The amount of stress we put into our jaw increases as we grind our teeth or clench our teeth as stress levels increase.  As the force of the jaw joint increases, it also transfers force into the temporal bones of the skull and all the other bones that make up the head.  What this equals are HEADACHES! 

Part of the treatment process with headache and/or migraine sufferers in my office is to also address the jaw joint and relieve any tension in the joint by stretching it, providing muscle therapy and also re-aligning the joint as often times it is mis-aligned. 

A few tips I offer my patients for jaw and head relief are the following:

Open the jaw as wide as you can and let the muscles stretch

Open the jaw half way and pull the jaw to the left

Open the jaw half way and pull the jaw to the right

Open the jaw straight down to get a final stretch

Avoid chewing gum and candy

If you have been suffering from chronic headaches and/or migraines, it might be helpful to have your jaw examined by a chiropractor as it might be the culprit.

For more information contact us at info [at] haquechiropractic [dot] com

Vacation for your health in Livermore

I am on my way home from Cancun right now as I write this blog and feel absolutely refreshed.  It got me thinking about how important it is to take vacations with the hectic lives us Americans live.  I realize that it is difficult to think about leaving your busy lifestyle and how scary it is to think to stop from your every day rat race, but after spending seven days without email, television, calls to the office and my laptop, I am more recharged than ever. 

When I first opened my chiropractic office in Livermore, I had a patient who was a very successful in his business who told me that it was absolutely essential to schedule time off to BE successful. He had me promise that I wouldn’t wait until most of my life passed by before I began taking time off and that I would do it regularly so that I could be a great doctor for my patients. His advice always stuck with me and after having my office for seven years now, I completely understand his point. Taking time off is good for more than stress relief; it is the time that allows your body to recover from all the abuse we give it.  Rest allows the brain to grow and many times people discover their most brilliant ideas when they take some well deserved time off. Getting extra sleep allows the body to perform better physically which in turns allows what you are doing for your health to show up.

So if you are feeling stressed out, take some time off, even if it isn’t an elaborate vacation, take a long weekend without your email and phone, take a work day off and stay in bed without getting on email, do something out of your ordinary hectic life and get some time to recover your body mind and soul, I guarantee it will do you some good.

People with back pain and injuries continue working out with Chiropractic in Livermore

My husband Don Parker and I joined our businesses, Lifestyle Fitness and Haque Chiropractic in 2009 because of the close relationship of our businesses. What I mean by that is we both had our own separate businesses prior, but we were referring clients/patients back and forth so that people could get healthy from the inside out. Many of his clients who were doing personal training and getting results would have aches and pains that would come in and see me so that we could address their aches and pains and have them continue forward on their workouts and therefore their results. Similarly, I had several patient cases that could not hold their spinal adjustments and correct their spinal injuries without strengthening their muscles so I would send them over to Lifestyle Fitness so they could maximize their results and get healthier. The body is such a complex organism. When you think of the all the organ systems, organs, muscles, ligaments, spinal structure, tissues, cells and atoms that makes us a complete human being, it takes a combination of eating right, staying strong by exercising, having a healthy nervous system and functioning joints to make us feel good and function optimally. Now, being in the same building, the right combination of strengthening, cardiovascular training, chiropractic, massage, physical therapy and nutritional counseling allows our patients and clients to work out, get fit, feel good and at the same time function better so they can continue to get healthier so they are in a positive health cycle. 

For more information on working out and getting rid of back pain contact us.

4 weeks to better health

As a health nut and Chiropractor in Livermore, I am always striving to keep myself as healthy as possible not just for myself but also for my patients.  With exercise, personal training, vitamin and supplements I am also trying to keep up with the latest ways to keep my body functioning as optimally as I can. That is why when Stacey Vigil, came to me telling me about the 28 days to health program, I was intrigued.  She informed me how people were getting healthy by cleansing over a four week period and eliminating the most inflammatory foods which include soy, dairy and gluten.  After learning a bit more about the program and how many people had significant results that lasted as a part of their lifestyle, I was open to having her bring her program to my office so that I my patients would have the opportunity to get healthier. 

I knew that in order for me to be able to whole-heartedly recommend this program, I needed to experience it first-hand so that is why I just completed my four week cleanse.  My results?  I can genuinely say that this program was amazing.  Not only was it simple and not a starvation method of cleansing (which I’ve done before too) but  four weeks allowed me to follow through with some of the core principles into my daily eating habits and choices even afterwards.  My body fat percentage has decreased, the last few pounds I have been trying to get rid of disappeared and my internal organs feel clean. I didn’t realize how I had adapted to feeling bloated and uncomfortable until I went through the 28 days to health program. 

I am now able to enthusiastically and with first hand glowing experience tell my patients and others about this program. Who this is good for? Well I think everyone but especially for those who are looking to feel better, get rid of digestive issues, lose weigh that has been difficult to lose, have better skin and want to live healthier.

For more information on this program contact us or go to www.newunutrition.com

Neck pain relief from painting in Livermore, CA

This week, I had a patient come into my chiropractic office in Livermore  with severe pain in her neck, shoulders that was shooting into her right arm.  When I asked her what happened, she told me that she had been painting her home and noticed that she was feeling “stiff” but was trying to “fight through it” so she could get her room painted.  Luckily shortly after beginning her care, she has had enormous relief and is back to sleeping at night and moving around and using her right hand. I had suggested that instead of “killing herself” trying to paint her own home and causing injuries to herself, she should hire a good reputable painter to do the job.  Yes, it might save some money to do the job yourself, but when you factor in the cost of the possible injury and then the cost to try and take care of it, as well as what your time is worth, it would actually be more cost effective to have someone else who is trained to do so do it for you.

After speaking to a business associate of mine, Sharon Evans from Fresh Coat Painters, I told her about my patient who came in hurting after painting (which by the way she didn’t get to finish because of her pain) and she told me how so many people who are not trained appropriately try to pain their own homes and not only because of lack of training are they not happy but they don’t have the equipment that helps professionals to get the job done quickly, correctly and without injuries.

For more information on neck pain relief or fresh coat painters contact us.