Howell Archives - Page 14 of 23 - Hometown Family Wellness Center

May 11 2020

Suffering with Neck Pain? Freehold Chiropractor Suggests Exercise and Stretching!

My name is Dr. Russell Brokstein and as a chiropractor in Freehold, NJ, I see many patients with neck pain on a daily basis. Many chiropractors just adjust their patients, but don’t show them exercises to help expedite recuperation. In my office, exercise and stretching therapy is incorporated into all treatment plans. Home exercise is so important and should be done by everybody. If you have any pets, just watch them when they wake up from sleep or a nap and you will see the first thing they do is stretch to make sure all the muscles, tendons and ligaments are loose.

Exercise for the neck is very important since weak muscles are related to many painful conditions of the neck and, can contribute to fatigue, irritability, headaches and migraines, sleep loss, stress, numbness and tingling, shoulder pain and so much more. When done correctly (perform slowly, staying within “reasonable” pain boundaries), you can increase your range of motion, reduce stiffness and tightness, and strengthen your neck muscles.

Just remember, before starting any exercise program to consult your doctor. Also, if you have pain during exercise to get checked by your doctor and report what you are experiencing.

The exercises below combine range of motion against light resistance in 4 directions (forwards, backwards, and left to right side bending). To do these correctly use resistance similar to an arm wrestling contest:

1. Push your head into your hand while moving the head to the end of the range, “…letting the head win” (See A, C, E, G).

2. Repeat this going back in the opposite direction by “letting the hand win” (see B, D, F, H), again, moving through the entire range of motion. ALWAYS push the head into the hands, Make sure you move the head against resistance in BOTH directions, 3 times each (A-B then B-A 3 times; C-D then D-C 3 times) then, (E-F then F-E 3 times, and lastly, G-H then H-G, 3 times).

The trick is doing this VERY slowly (to build motor control and coordination) and to move through the entire “comfortable” range of motion. Repeat 3 times slowly. If pain worsens, lighten up on the amount of pressure used or, stop the movement just prior to the sharp pain onset. If you can’t make it to the end of the movement due to pain, make a note of how many reps it took before the onset or increase of pain and how far you could move your head. Do 3 slow reps and then move to the next exercise direction.

(The arrow represents the direction the head is moving and the hands are resisting, but not stopping, the movement; Use light pressure through the full ROM)

These exercises can be performed 1 to 3 time a day, according to tolerance, and will increase your range of motion, increase strength, and build coordination, all at the same time. Feel free to contact our office for additional exercises or to answer any questions concerning you, your loved ones, or friends.

If you are experiencing any neck pain, you are a candidate for chiropractic care. Pain is a sign to you that something is wrong and shouldn’t be taken lightly. The longer you wait to get a problem checked the more chronic it can become and more difficult to correct.

Chiropractors are the only health professionals properly trained to detect and correct the cause of musculoskeletal problems. By find the cause of the problem, we can correct the cause, so you can once again enjoy your normal daily activities and be out of pain.

If you are in Freehold, or the surrounding towns of Marlboro, Howell, Jackson, Morganville, Colts Neck, or Manalapan and other nearby towns in Monmouth County, New Jersey, call our office, Hometown Family Wellness Center, for a consultation and find out why chiropractic has the highest success in patient satisfaction!

Visit our website for more information and health blogs by clicking: www.chiropractorfreehold.com

May 11 2020

Freehold NJ Chiropractor Changing the Lives of Headache and Migraine Sufferers – Part II

Welcome to Part II of our headache and migraine blog special. As a chiropractor in Freehold, NJ, I have helped many patients who used to suffer with headaches of many types: cluster headaches, migraines, tension headaches just to name a few.

If you haven’t read the initial part on this series about headaches, you can read it by clicking: The Life of Headache and Migraine Sufferers Changed by Chiropractor in Freehold, NJ – Part I

Today we are going to continue with more information all headache and migraine sufferers should know about.

There are many health and dietary habits that contribute to headaches. Some of these habits are surprising to be a cause to those that read them. I recommend that you first read through each one of these habits and then decide if each habit could be contributing to your headaches in any way. Now I understand that you won’t know for sure if each one is contributing at the time that you read it the first time, but you’ll probably have an intuitive feeling about it immediately or even an internal revelation as time goes on. If the habit could possibly be contributing to your headaches because it is your habit, circle it. One by one, work on eliminating the habits that are circled, noticing your progress. The more habits you can eliminate, the more you are moving towards a headache-free life, life as usual with no headache pain!

1) Bad sleep habits can contribute to headaches. If you sleep on your stomach or bunch up your pillow, it can cause your pain. Your neck becomes twisted for long periods of time as you sleep, putting pressure on the nerves, blood vessels and vertebrae in your cervical (neck) spine. That pressure sends messages to the brain that there’s something that needs to be addressed, and a pain signal is sent to your head. Presto! You have a headache and your neck hurts as well.

To solve this, you need to sleep on your back with a pillow that fully supports your neck. You may also sleep on your side, but check with us at the office about the proper sleeping position that won’t create headaches. If you bring in your pillow to our office, I’ll check it to see if it’s part of the reason you have headaches. For example, a pillow that is too thin or too fluffy will contribute to headaches because it doesn’t support the cervical curve in your neck. The cervical curve is a natural S-shaped curve in your neck. If the pillow is too flat, that pillow flattens your cervical curve. If the pillow is too fluffy, it exaggerates your cervical curve.

In the past 20 years, chiropractic physicians have used a complete range of cervical pillows to fit the necks of those who are young and old.

2) If you consume too much caffeine and or chocolate it can cause your headaches. Scientists don’t know exactly what it is about caffeine that can cause a headache, but they do know that there is a clear connection. The big question is what is too much coffee? Many people have heard on tv or reading a magazine that coffee is good for headaches, but in actuality the caffeine triggers a headache and keeps them away from a headache-free life. One has to realize caffeine is an addictive drug, that if it does provide you even with temporary relief of your current headache, the long term consequences of caffeine usage drastically decreases your overall health. In my professional opinion even just one cup a day is too much coffee! You can read more about the dangers of drinking coffee and other caffeine products by clicking this link: Freehold Chiropractor Reveals the Truth about Coffee: Your Health is at Risk! Find out what drinking caffeine does to you from dehydration (another cause of headaches), to destroying your adrenal glands which leads to many common health conditions.

If you are drinking too much coffee, it’s important that you decrease your coffee consumption slowly. DO NOT STOP COFFEE COLD TURKEY! If you stop drinking coffee cold turkey, you will get a headache and it won’t be just an ordinary headache. It will be a monstrous headache!

The best way to cut your coffee consumption is to decrease slowly by 1/2 cup a day.

The same principle can be applied to chocolate. If you eat chocolate every single day three times, decrease it one time a day. Chocolate contains caffeine and you can develop that monstrous headache from its withdrawal.

So, I hope you are finding this information valuable. We are only thru 2 of the top 12 contributing factors to headaches and migraines. In the following parts to this blog series, we will go thru the remaining 10 as well as diets that reduce inflammation, and Natural Headache and Inflammation Remedies.

Until next time, feel free to visit our website: www.ChiropractorFreehold.com or if you live in Freehold or the neighboring towns of Marlboro, Howell, Jackson, Morganville, Colts Neck or Manalapan, in Monmouth County, NJ contact our office, Hometown Family Wellness Center, for a complimentary headache evaluation to help you live a headache free life once and for all.

May 11 2020

Freehold Chiropractor Reviews Ergonomics at your Work Station

Freehold Chiropractor, Dr. Russell Brokstein, reviews ergonomics at your work station.

Every day people go to work and sit at their desks for hours at a time. There is no wonder people experience neck pain, back pain, headaches, shoulder pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, aches and pains.

It is extremely important for people to make sure their work station is set up ergonomically correct. Ergonomics is the study of the relationship between workers and their environment, especially the equipment they use. The applied science of equipment design, as for the workplace, is intended to maximize productivity by reducing operator fatigue and discomfort.

Physical ergonomics at work is concerned with postural and biomechanical characteristics as they relate to physical activity. The relevant topics include working postures, materials handling, repetitive movements, work-related musculoskeletal disorders, workplace layout, safety and health.

The picture to the left can help you set up your desk, chair, computer screen, keyboard and mouse and guide you to proper posture to help reduce work related injuries. It’s also important to note to take breaks every 30 minutes. During these breaks, get up, walk around and stretch.

Ergonomics is one key in helping patients correct the underlying cause of their problems. Taking these simple steps at work can help you in reducing your neck pain, back pain, shoulder pain, headaches, numbness and tingling, and stress.

Along with chiropractic care at Hometown Family Wellness Center in Freehold, NJ, Dr. Russell Brokstein discusses activities of daily living, including ergonomics at your place of work that could be one of the causes leading to misalignments that are putting the pressure on the nerves. Dr. Russell has been helping patients for over 14 years in Freehold and the surrounding towns of Marlboro, Manalapan, Howell, Colts Neck, Jackson, Morganville and other communities in Monmouth County, New Jersey. If you are ready to finally live a pain free, healthy lifestyle without drugs or surgery and enjoy your regular daily activities once again, contact our office at 732-780-0044 and go to our website to find out more information at www.ChiropractorFreehold.com

May 11 2020

Loss Of Normal Neck Curve Increases Risk Of Neck Pain

A study in the March/April 2005 issue of the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics finds that the more a person loses the normal, forward curve in the neck, the more likely they are to suffer from neck pain and related problems. In the study, researchers examined 277 random records of patients from an Australian chiropractic college clinic. The patients’ x-ray films were measured for the amount of neck curve and how far forward their head was misaligned over the normal balance point. The films were then correlated with their symptomatic complaints at the time they began chiropractic care. After the data from the x-rays and files were collected, they were sorted by age, sex, and the amount of curve and forward head shift that were measured. The researchers found that patients with a straight or reversed curve in the neck were 18 times more likely to experience neck pain and related problems. They also found that the more a patient’s head had shifted forward, the more likely they would experience neck pain and related problems. Patients whose neck curves were within the normal range experienced statistically insignificant amounts of neck pain and were considered clinically normal. The patients’ age or sex played no part in the outcome of the study. Anytime the spine becomes misaligned, wide-ranging functional problems can and do develop. It is my job to restore and maintain proper alignment of your spine thereby helping you maintain the highest level of function possible.

May 11 2020

Welcome to the World of Wellness: Healthcare, not Sickcare

Do you have any health problems that concern you? Have you tried one medical doctor after another just prescribing medications that at most just cover up your symptoms but at the same time cause side effects that you end up needing more medications from. Well there is a better way to lead you to actual health so you can finally gain your life back and enjoy your normal activities.

There are 3 causes to poor health:

1) Physical trauma to the spine will cause pressure on nerves therefore interfering with the messages being sent thru your nervous system. Our body’s organs, tissues and cells all function based on these messages going thru the nerves. Throughout our lifetime we experience traumas that accumulate that will put pressure on the nerves therefore affecting the functioning of our body. From the time you’re born, how many times do you fall when you first learn to walk, playing sports, sitting at desks at schools, carrying heavy books, auto accidents/fender benders, carrying a pocket book or brief case, missing a step or curb. I can keep going but think you get the point. If we can find where these traumas are building up, we can remove the pressure to the nervous system so your body will function more optimally.

2) We all experience stress..especially in these days and times. Well most people do things that affect how our bodies deal with stress. The 2 biggest things that decrease our body’s ability to deal with stress are drinking caffeine and eating simple carbs/sugars. By consuming these products it affects our adrenal glands which are also called the stress glands. They produce the hormones of the body: adrenaline, cortisol, norepephrine and DHEA. When these hormones aren’t at proper levels, it will lead to: heart conditions, digestive problems, sleep problems, fatigue, allergies, diabetes, weight issues, arthritic conditions, immune problems, PMS, monopause symptoms, libido problems…the list goes on and on and I’m sure you will realize these are many of the health issues you and most people you know experience. Well covering up these symptoms with medications isn’t the solution. With a simple one minute non invasive test, we can find this problem and correct it with simple dietary and supplentary suggestions.

3) The final problems is toxicity. Everything we eat, breath and drink has chemicals in them. These chemicals build up in our body cause our body to be more toxic and more acidic. Our body is a filter system yet we neglect it. Think of your car, air conditioner, refrigerator and other appliances. We know if we dont change the filters the efficiency of those machines decreases. Well we have to clean out our filter systems and it can be done naturally. First we can do a 5 second test to see how toxic the body is.

By taking a more naturalistic approach to our health, we can correct these 3 health issues and you will be more healthy naturally. Isn’t it time to take a different approach to health and wellness?

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