How Chiropractic Treatment Can Improve Your Sleep

A widespread issue among many Americans today is that they are simply not getting enough sleep on a regular basis. We have all heard that six to eight hours is most likely ideal, but that means it must be a continuous 6-8 hours each night. If you are constantly waking up throughout the night, you won’t be able to get enough deep REM sleep, which means you won’t be getting the refreshing, healing sleep that you need. As a result, we suffer from excessive fatigue, poor concentration, more instances of illness, and many other negative side effects.

How Chiropractic Care Helps

Chiropractic can help you sleep better for multiple different reasons. When your neck is misaligned, it tends to tighten your jaw joint and masseter muscles, which will close down your airway while you lay down for bed. It can cause snoring, decreased oxygen, and make you never get to deep REM sleep. By keeping your neck more properly aligned, you will have a better chance of ensuring that you get the right amount of oxygen while you sleep. 

Chiropractic care also enhances the body’s central nervous system. And the central nervous system is a key player in allowing efficient function of the body. The more efficient your body, the less wasted energy, and the easier it is for your body and mind to wind down and fall asleep. Chiropractors focus on your spine, correcting any misalignments that are present and boosting the spine’s overall health. What does this mean for sleep? It means that pain and tension that build in the spine may be released, and the more comfortable the body, the easier it is to relax and fall asleep.

We all have stress that bombards us throughout our daily lives. Whether you are stressed at work, are experiencing family issues, or have pressing financial issues, many of us can relate and we all have and feel the same stresses. Another way chiropractic care can help improve your sleep is through stress reduction. Cortisol is a hormone that is associated with stress in the body. When you are under stress, more cortisol is released by the adrenal glands. However, chiropractic care can lower cortisol and reduce stress.  By seeing your chiropractor on a weekly basis or even twice a month, your cortisol levels will stay in check. Each chiropractic adjustment to your spine will decrease the cortisol your body is producing.

If you are struggling to sleep, and feel like you may benefit from chiropractic care, our Duluth Chiropractor Robert Torgrimson may be able to help. You can contact Associated Chiropractic Physicians at (218) 728-3686, we have over 30 years of chiropractic experience and look forward to helping you!

Featured Image: “Photo of Sleeping Man” by Andrea Piacquadio

Headaches and Chiropractic

If you find yourself having frequent headaches don’t worry because you are not alone. 9% of men and 12% of women in the U.S. experience at least 1-2 headache episodes per month. More than 4% of the U.S. population suffers from frequent headaches, defined as headaches that occur at least 180 days a year. Headaches are now something that has become a common issue among our population, and is a condition that chiropractors find themselves treating more often. 

What Causes Headaches?

Headaches can be triggered by many different causes and behaviors. This includes things such as the foods you consume, environmental stimuli (noises, lights, stress, etc.) and/or behaviors (insomnia, excessive exercise, blood sugar changes, etc.). A majority of headaches are primary headaches, such as tension, migraine, or cluster headaches. These types of headaches are not caused by disease, but rather the headache itself is the primary concern. In many cases, these primary headaches are caused by some sort of muscle tension in the neck. Today, many of us engage in more sedentary activities than in times past, and more of our time is spent in one fixed position or posture, such as sitting in front of a computer. These types of behaviors can increase joint irritation and muscle tension in the neck and upper back causing your head to ache.

Common Types of Headaches

• Migraines
• Cluster
• Tension
• Medication Overuse
• Trauma

What Can You Do?

There are various activities that you can do to help you avoid frequent headaches. This includes things like drinking more water to maintain hydration, managing stress, getting the appropriate amount of sleep, and sticking to a healthy diet and exercise regimen. If these remedies do not appear to be helping with your headaches, you might consider working with a chiropractor for treatment. Chiropractors can Perform spinal manipulation or chiropractic adjustments to improve spinal function and alleviate the stress on your system. They can also consult with you about advice related to nutrition, posture, and exercise techniques which can help alleviate recurring joint and muscle irritation in the neck and upper back.  Our Duluth chiropractor Dr. Torgrimson may be able to help in treating your headaches. If you are concerned about your health, and think you are experiencing any of the issues related to headaches, then we urge you to schedule an appointment with us. You can contact Associated Chiropractic Physicians at (218) 728-3686, we have over 30 years of chiropractic experience and look forward to helping you!

Featured Image: “Headache,” by Jose Navarro, licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Why is Good Posture Important?

Having good posture means that we can stand, sit, walk, run, and lie in positions that put a minimal amount of strain on our muscles and ligaments when we are actively using them. When this type of stress is lessened because of good posture, then our likelihood of pain and injury can be reduced. Not only that, but our muscles can begin to work more efficiently, allowing the body to use less energy which results in less muscle fatigue. Several muscle groups, including the hamstrings and large back muscles, are critically important in maintaining good posture. However, when we begin to ignore our posture, not only do we begin to look bad, but we may experience issues that are detrimental to our overall health. 

Many parts of our everyday lifestyle can lead us to poorer posture over time. We may slouch and hunch over to look at our phone, computer, or tablet screens. Because of gravity, the further we allow our heads and shoulders to round over our phones, there will be more weight that our spine will have to endure. In an upright, proper position with our ears over our shoulders over our hips, our spine carries just the weight of our head, which is about 10-12 pounds. Dropping your head down 60 degrees to look at your phone and suddenly your spine is carrying the weight of your head with an increased gravitational pull. This can lead to some potential negative effects that your body simply doesn’t need.

Common Effects of Bad Posture

• Back, neck, and shoulder pain
• Poor circulation
• Poor digestion
• Curvature of the spine
• Constricted nerves
• Headaches
• Fatigue
• Lower self-esteem/ self-image

Can I correct my posture?

Long-term postural problems will likely take longer to address than short term ones, but most issues related to poor posture can be treated. Conscious awareness of your own posture and knowing how to correct it is the first step to take when trying to make improvements. Our Duluth chiropractor Dr. Torgrimson may be able to help you get started in the right direction towards proper posture and good health. If you are concerned about your posture, or think you are experiencing any of the issues related to bad posture, then we urge you to schedule an appointment with us. You can contact Associated Chiropractic Physicians at (218) 728-3686, we have over 30 years of chiropractic experience and look forward to helping you!