5 Tips to Keep Your Spine Aligned While Driving

In 2005, the Census Bureau reported that Americans, on average, spent more than 100 hours commuting to work per year, with the average commute lasting 24.3 minutes.  According to the American Community Survey (ACS), the longest commutes happening within the country, were most prominent on the East coast:

The cities fortunate to have a shorter commute time average were: 

Corpus Christi, Texas (16.1 minutes)

Wichita, Kansas (16.3 minutes)

Tulsa, Oklahoma (17.1 minutes) 

Omaha, Nebraska (17.3 minutes)

As a chiropractor, these amount of time spent commuting concerns me, and this doesn't account for the time spent driving to the grocery store, taking children to school, extracurricular activities, vacations, etc.   Many of the patients I see have problems stemming to how they sit in their vehicle as they commute, and many are who work from their vehicle.  Here's a list of tips to help keep you comfortable and healthy during those accumulated hours spent in your vehicle.

5 Tips to Keep Your Spine Aligned While Driving

1) Seat position matters.  Position your seat so you can reach the pedals and steering wheel with ease.  Your back should not come away from the seat as you reach for the peddles are make other driving movements.  Lumbar support may be necessary if your car lacks sufficient lumbar support.
2) Adjust your headrest.  Your headrest should center the back of your head. 
3) Rest your hands properly.  The days of 10 and 2 are gone.  9 and 3 is key!  By placing your hands in the 9 and 3 position your shoulders are able to relax.  Be mindful to not rest your wrists at 12 o'clock or clench the steering wheel.  These movements can cause numbness.  Also, be mindful of how you reach for the stick-shift.  Adjusting seat placement and/or back position to meet comfort levels is necessary.
4) Smart Phone Neck.  Americans are enthralled with smart phones.  Consider the amount of time you spend looking at your phone and for how you tilt your head down as you read your email, messages etc.  Over time, tilting the head in a downward position can strain the ligaments in the neck.
5) Working in vehicle.  There is a large amount of the workforce that works from their vehicle--ie. plumbers, police officers, service technicians, etc.  When possible, take your work indoors--inside a coffee shop, the office or to the park, to free your back from the twists and turns that working inside a vehicle requires.

As an expert in ergonomics, I am happy to check patients sitting in their car.  Call to set up your time for me to do a quick seat/position check.

Unofficial Pole:  How long are you in your vehicle on an average day.  For me it's 35 minutes.

Best in health, naturally,
Dr. Marc

References:
Google Images
US Census Bureau

Other good links:
Seats to look for when buying a car

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Backpack Safety: Pack Right, Avoid Injury

Each year, I remind my patients to be mindful of the load they or their child is carrying on their back.  Backpack safety has grown to such a level of concern that school districts, hospitals and experts are warning against the potential hazards that can come when carrying too much weight on one's back.

According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, an estimated 6,512 emergency room visits each year result from injuries related to book bags, while backpack-related injuries are up 256 percent since 1996.

Last year, backpacksafety.com conducted an online survey of more than 200 chiropractors, and this is what was found:

• 89 percent of chiropractors surveyed responded that they have seen patients (ages 5-18) reporting back, neck or shoulder pain caused by heavy backpacks.

• 71 percent of chiropractors presently seeing such patients responded that they are currently seeing one to four patients (ages 5-18) reporting back, neck or shoulder pain caused by heavy backpacks.

• 20 percent of chiropractors presently seeing such patients responded that they are currently seeing five to nine patients (ages 5-18) reporting back, neck or shoulder pain caused by heavy backpacks.

• 9 percent of chiropractors presently seeing such patients responded that they are currently seeing 10 or more patients (ages 5-18) due to back, neck or shoulder caused by heavy backpacks.

The implications of heavy backpacks are real, and are taking a toll.

Dr. Davis' Tips For Backpack Safety (according to the American Chiropractic Association):

1. Make sure your child's backpack weighs no more than 10% of their body weight.  This will prevent you or your child from slouching forward while carrying their backpack.
2. Backpacks should be worn over both shoulders.
3. Backpacks should be adjustable, positioned square on the back, close to the body, with the bulk of the weight at the waist. 
4. Minimize what is carried in the backpack.
5. Backpacks should have wide shoulder straps to help carry weight effectively.
6. When backpack has a waist strap--use it.
   
   
   Best in health, naturally,
   Dr. Marc
   
   
   
   
   
   
   google image

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17 Quick Tips for a Healthy Spine

One of Dr. Davis' primary focuses as a chiropractor, is preventing health problems before the onset of symptoms.  During his appointments with patients, examining the spine for postural misalignments, is routine.  Such misalignments, also known as vertebral subluxation, may lead to a wide range of ailments, such as back pain, carpel tunnel syndrome and headaches.  Studies have also suggested that vertebral subluxations may be related to ear infections, Parkinson's disease, high blood pressure, colic and other maladies.  Dr. Davis also emphasizes the power of prevention with his clients by teaching monthly wellness courses and educating patients about vertebral subluxation and how treat them through chiropractic adjustments, as well as teaching about nutrition, stress reduction and exercise, as a means of  preventative measure.

1.  Schedule an appointment with Dr. Davis for a chiropractic checkup.  Even the slightest postural discrepancies, over a period of time, can have harmful effects on the spine.  Dr. Marc is educated to detect and prevent such conditions before they turn painful.

2. Strive to be well.  Having a "wellness attitude," is on that focuses on prevention and strives to address issues when they arise, rather than ignore them or try to cover them up with potentially harmful medications.

3.  Switch from coffee to green tea.  Green tea contains the emerald elixir, which is an antioxidant which is filled with healing chemicals that are known to prevent Osteoarthritis, an attack on the spine that occurs in older individuals.

4.  Be an ergonomic expert!  Invest in a headset for your home, office and mobile telephones, to avoid unnecessary neck strain associated with cradling the phone between the shoulder and ear.  Consider trading out your traditional computer mouse, which require repetitive movements that can lead to muscular imbalances, for a touch pad or a roller ball device.

5.  Ask your doctor about glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate supplements in relation to your health situation.  Both supplements are linked with preventing degeneration of cartilage in joints.  Make sure that you speak with your doctor about any other supplements and/or medications that you might be taking.

6.  Watch your water intake.  Six to eight glasses of water a day is essential in keeping the intravertebrae disks separating the spine's vertebrae soft and elastic.  Dehydration can cause the disks to lose flexibility and shrink, thus failing to provide cushion for adjacent vertebrae.

7.  Nourish your spine with daily multivitamins and minerals.  Always consult with your doctor or chiropractor before beginning a new regimen.

8.  Avoid carrying your wallet in your back pocket.  Doing so, may hurt your spine and put unnecessary pressure on your sciatic nerve.  The disproportionate pressure can also lead to posture incongruities which can lead to low-back pain.

9.  Request a posture check from Dr. Davis.  This procedure can help identify any posture problems that you should be aware of, before they become painful or lead to a disorder.

10.  Sleep on your back.  As much as you might like to stretch out on your stomach, sleeping there can tweak vertebrae in your neck, leading to vertebral subluxations.

11.  Choose a soft spine-friendly pillow made from down feathers.  Or ask your doctor about the many therapeutic pillows on the market.  AND make sure you pack your pillow with you while on trips.  You might not know how accustomed you've become to your pillow until you have trouble sleeping at your hotel, or wake up with neck pain the following morning.

12.  Purchase a neck-cradling pillow for road trips and airplane flights.  Extra support while sitting upright for long periods of time, helps avoid strains in the neck area.

13.  Stretch each day.  As a rule of thumb--for every 30 minutes of inactivity i.e. sitting at your desk during work hours, take a three minute stretch break.  Set a timer to remind yourself to be kind to your back.

14.  Be active.  Exercise at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week, and incorporate both strength training and aerobic programs.

15.  Incorporate abdominal strengthening exercises into your fitness regimen.  Low back pain is often associated with weak abdominal muscles.

16.  Pass up excessive caffeine, sugar, processed and fried foods.  Not only do these foods drain the body of energy, they interrupt appropriate nutrients from reaching the spine.

17.  Maintain regular chiropractic checkups to stay subluxation-free.  Ask your doctor to suggest a schedule that will keep you on track.  Remember, your spine is worth the time and effort to avoid pain and be healthy!

Davis Family Chiropractic, PLLC

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Dr. Mancini Discusses Underlying Pain and the Benefits of Chiropractic

Dr. Fabrizio Mancini, DC, President of Parker University and top Doctor in the field of chiropractic, recently discussed pain and chiropractic on the cable series, The Doctors.

What is important to know, he explains, is that pain often stems from another location than we think and for reasons we often fail to recognize.

FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO PAIN:

• Regular travel
• Improperly addressed and/or corrected pain resulting from accidents ie. a fall, auto accidents, sports injuries
• Unbalanced Diet--too much sugar contributing to inflammation
• Stress--built up tension causing a physiological effect on the muscles

If you have not yet been checked by a chiropractor, I urge you to visit one in your area. Silent problems are still problems. It so much easier and cost-effective to catch small problems BEFORE they become a CRISIS. For a limited time, our website has a promotion for a complete Chiropractic check up for you or your loved one. Go to www.davisfamilychiro.com today, print the coupon and then schedule your Chiropractic Check-up by calling (360) 823-2225.

Best in health, Naturally,
Dr. Marc

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Is Your Child's Backpack Safe?

Now that it's back to school, have you noticed your child's backpack and what he or she may be carrying?  Have you ever thought about the safety of your back while you are toting your books and belongings to school or work?  Or do you rarely give second thought to carrying those extra pounds on your back?

University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine researched children and back pain associated with backpacks and concluded information that shouldn't go ignored.

In a test of ten students, boys and girls, thirteen years of age, backpacks were fitted to each student with pressure sensors to test them carrying 10%, 20% and 30% of each of their body weight for 30 seconds.  With each increase in weight, were increased pain levels.  According to UCSD, studies have shown that children commonly carry 22% of their body weight on their back, which can be attributed to

• Posture change
• Spine curvature
• Back pain
• Shoulder pain

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) annual estimates "there are nearly 7,500 emergency room visits due to injuries related to backpacks or book bags" (National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, Consumer Product Safety Commission, 2004). 

Now, to answer yesterday's Quiz Question From the Doc :

Q: As a rule of thumb, what percent of a child's body weight is the recommended safe weight limit for that child's full backpack?

A: According to Backpack Safety America, the recommended safe weight limit for a child's full backpack is up to 10% of a child's body weight.

Tips for backpack safety:

1. Make sure your child's backpack weighs no more than 10% of their body weight.  This will prevent your child from slouching forward while carrying their backpack.
2. Backpacks should be worn over both shoulders.
3. Backpacks should be positioned square on the back, close to the body, with the bulk of the weight at the waist.
4. Minimize what is carried in the backpack.
5. Backpacks should have wide shoulder straps to help carry weight effectively.
6. When backpack has a waist strap--use it.

Best in health, naturally,

Dr. Marc

ucsd study

photo credit

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