Children and Chiropractic Care

Today, many children receive regular chiropractic care as a way to support and promote better overall health. Many current chiropractic patients who are also parents have often considered and wondered about trying chiropractic care for their children. Chiropractic has been effective for them, and they feel that it could also benefit their kids. Chiropractic care can be an essential part of your child’s overall wellness. 

In the United States, more than 17 percent of all chiropractic patients are under the age of 18, according to the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners. While it may seem that children do not need chiropractic at a young age, starting them with preventative care early on can set them up for a lifetime of health and well-being.

Benefits for your Child

The nervous system, which consists of your brain, spinal cord and nerves, controls everything in the body, including growth and development. Subluxations, also known as misalignments in the spine, can prevent proper communication from the brain to the body. Subluxations cause stress to the nervous system, which can lead to a decrease in function of areas of the body. Infants, children and adults can all experience subluxations in the spine. 

During the first five years of life, the body produces more neural pathways than at any other time. It is important that this production is optimized through children’s chiropractic care, as the first few years are crucial to each child’s capability. Even if your child is in excellent health, minor traumas from bumps, bruises, falls and spills accumulate over time and can result in pain, discomfort and/or health issues into their teen and adult years.

Common improvements resulting from chiropractic care in children are:

• Sleep
• Behavioral functions
• Immune system function
• Spinal posture
• Asthma and other breathing difficulties
• Digestive problems

Seeking Treatment

With our kids heading back to school soon, many parents look for ways to help their child do well in the classroom and stay healthy. Chiropractic care can provide various positive health effects for children. Even if your child does not have a particular diagnosed condition, visiting a skilled chiropractor is part of a healthy lifestyle which promotes regular development and wellbeing. Chiropractic adjustments for young patients focus mainly on increasing the function of the nervous system. This network in the human body is crucial to brain and nerve development, behavior, the immune system, and so much more.

Chiropractic treatment is always adapted to fit the needs of the patient. This means that your chiropractor will evaluate your child or infant, and determine options for treatment based on their individual characteristics and medical history. Adjustments for newborns and children are different, using significantly less force. Unless it is for treatment of an injury, chiropractic care is typically painless for children. Any sensitivity or discomfort that is experienced should dwindle shortly after the adjustment.

If you feel like your child could benefit from the care of a chiropractor, then you might consider scheduling a consultation with your Duluth chiropractor at Associated Chiropractic Physicians. Dr. Robert Torgimson has over 30 years of chiropractic experience, and can work with you and your child to identify any areas for improvement. You can schedule an appointment with us for further information and consultation today by calling (218) 728-3686, we look forward to assisting you!

What is a Chiropractic Adjustment?

A chiropractic adjustment is a therapeutic treatment where a chiropractor uses their hands or special instruments to manipulate joints within your body. The goal of this procedure, also known as spinal manipulation, is to improve spinal motion and improve your body’s physical function. A chiropractic adjustment can correct your body’s alignment, and help to reduce pain and inflammation in areas all throughout the body itself. 

When receiving a spinal alignment, your chiropractor is seeking to treat small misalignments within the vertebrae. These misalignments are referred to as subluxations, and even the smallest misalignments of the spine can create problems that span all over different areas of the body. Given the spine’s central role in both the central nervous system and musculoskeletal structure, it is essential that we treat and manage it with care. Having a healthy spine allows your brain and spinal cord to work together in order to carry out all of your bodily functions. No matter your age, having a healthy spine is crucial when it comes to living a more healthy and productive life. 

Different Types of Adjustments

There is not one universal form of adjustment that chiropractors will use during treatment. There are numerous types of adjustments that can be performed depending on the affected area of the body and the specific condition that is being treated. There are more than 100 types of spinal manipulation techniques used by chiropractors. Regardless of the many techniques that have been classified as adjustments, most have a similar feature, which is the application of thrust.

These are some of the more common adjustments that chiropractors typically perform on their patients:

• The Diversified Technique
• Thompson Drop-Table Technique
• Spinal Mobilization
• The Gonstead Method
• The Activator Method
• Articulatory Technique
• Spinal Decompression
• Flexion Distraction
• Muscle Energy Technique
• Activator

Chiropractic Adjustment Benefits

One of the most beneficial aspects of chiropractic adjustments is that it can improve the range of motion in your joints. When a joint is sublaxated, it also means that there is increased tension being put on muscles associated with the bones that are part of the joint. This additional decrease in motion can cause a decrease in ability of the muscle to function optimally. When the chiropractic adjustment is performed, the joint motions become increased or in some cases fully restored. 

Given the spine’s central role in both the central nervous system and musculoskeletal structure, it is essential that we treat and manage it with care. Having a healthy spine allows your brain and spinal cord to work together in order to carry out all of your bodily functions. No matter your age, having a healthy spine is crucial when it comes to living a more healthy and productive life. 

Chiropractors are committed to holistic health care, which involves working with patients to enhance their health. Even though the chiropractic profession is based on the evaluation and treatment of musculoskeletal and neuromuscular disorders, they can also counsel patients on lifestyle issues, such as stress management, diet, nutrition, and exercise. Chiropractic adjustments can also provide benefits in other aspects of bodily function such as reducing stress, promoting better sleep, improved posture, and supporting the immune system. 

If you are interested in learning more about our chiropractic services, or are someone who thinks that they can benefit from chiropractic care in any way, then we highly encourage you to reach out to us. Our Duluth Chiropractor Dr. Robert Torgrimson has over 30 years of experience treating patients with the holistic approach of chiropractic. You can contact Associated Chiropractic Physicians at (218) 728-3686, we look forward to helping you!

Specialized Chiropractic Treatments

There are various specialized chiropractic treatments that can benefit the needs of individuals with broadly different lifestyles. In fact, most chiropractic care involves treating patients around their personal traits and characteristics, so that their specific health needs can be more easily targeted and identified. This means that no treatment plan is the same, and experienced chiropractors are conducting vastly different methods of care each day for their patients.

Chiropractors are licensed healthcare professionals who specialize in the treatment and diagnosis of neuromuscular disorders. Chiropractic care is a type of complementary medicine that deals with the relationship between your body’s structure and the way it works. Chiropractors pay special attention to the connection between your spine and nervous system, and will manually adjust the spine and use other hands-on therapies to ease pain and support overall health.

Back pain, neck pain, and headaches are typical ailments that will cause someone to seek out chiropractic care. However, chiropractors are more than just back and neck doctors. They are also educated in fields of nutritional science, nutrition counseling, and rehabilitative exercise. A chiropractor’s training and educational background allows them to treat more than just spinal disorders. According to the American Chiropractic Association, chiropractic services are used to resolve or manage a variety of health conditions for more than 35 million Americans annually. Continue reading to learn more about the diverse range of specialized treatments that chiropractors can offer.

Diet and Weight Loss Consulting

Depending on your current weight, age, sex, genetics, and metabolism, it can be difficult to understand and determine the most effective route that you should take when it comes to losing weight. A chiropractor can personally work with you to determine specialized nutrition plans and exercise regimens based on your specific needs and personal factors, such as your age and metabolism. A spinal adjustment can help aid the many bodily systems within you, and help to restore and improve their functions. This improved communication can ultimately reduce inflammation and support your metabolism making it easier to burn fat. In turn, that will create better performance during exercise and enable your body to burn more calories. 

Lifestyle Education

Chiropractors can also serve as lifestyle coaches and ergonomic experts. Many of the aspects within our daily lives such as our diets, posture, and exercise habits have the potential to negatively impact our well-being. For example, weight gain and poor posture at work are some of the leading causes of back and neck pain. Years of seemingly small unhealthy lifestyle choices can, over time, turn into very large health problems. A chiropractor can talk to you about your lifestyle choices, help you sort through and identify unhealthy health habits, and give you practical strategies to deal with and manage them.

Immune System Support

Chiropractic care seeks to improve the function of the nervous system and the bodily functions. The nervous system and the immune system are both hardwired to work together in order to create optimal responses within the body. Any sort of dysfunction within the body can throw off the balance of your immune system. Your immune system is essentially pushed into overdrive all the time when something in your body is sending “threat” signals. It is sometimes the case that a subluxation in your spine is the cause of a serious dysfunction within your central nervous system. A subluxation is what’s known as a slight misalignment within the vertebrae, and it is what a chiropractor seeks to treat when providing care. 

Stress & Sleep Management 

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. 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.

Summary

Chiropractic care is a hands-on, drug-free therapy used to treat a variety of different health conditions. Most of the work a chiropractor will do involves treatment of disorders of the neuromusculoskeletal system, but they are also trained to diagnose and treat other issues related to your nervous system and musculoskeletal system. Every patient will be evaluated to determine a specialized and unique treatment plan that meets their health and lifestyle needs. 

If you think that you can benefit from the approaches of chiropractic in any way, then we highly encourage you to reach out to us. Our Duluth Chiropractor Dr. Robert Torgrimson has over 30 years of experience treating various health issues through chiropractic care. You can contact Associated Chiropractic Physicians at (218) 728-3686, we look forward to helping you!

Hydration Benefits For Daily Health

Proper hydration is one of the most beneficial, yet often overlooked qualities when it comes to improving our daily health. No matter what time of year it is, hydration is important – especially during the hot Minnesota summers. As the temperatures continue to rise in the summer months and we spend more time in the heat, many of us tend to forget to drink enough water to maintain proper hydration levels. 

Dehydration can present itself with very little prior warning, especially for individuals that are extremely young or those who are quite a bit older. These are some of the symptoms to look out for in regards to rehydration for those of all ages.

• Extreme thirst
• Dark urine
• Less frequent urination
• Headache
• Fatigue

Our bodies are made up of approximately 65% water. In order to function optimally, your body needs proper hydration because every cell is dependent on water. A lot of folks follow an old rule that an adult should drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day. However, each person is different – different sizes, different activity levels, different metabolic rates – among many other individual characteristics. 

Another suggestion is to stick to drinking half of your body weight in ounces. For example, if you weigh 160 pounds, you should drink about 80 ounces of water each day. It is important to remember that things like coffee and alcohol are diuretics that can dehydrate the body, so keep that in mind if you consume either regularly. Water does so much for the body including: 

• Assisting the metabolism process
• Carrying nutrients and oxygen to cells
• Regulates body temperature
• Lubricates the joints
• Promotes cardiovascular health
• Flushes body waste

Proper hydration is also crucial for maintaining the proper function and health of your spine. The discs located in the spine are made up almost entirely of water, but they do not absorb water like the rest of your body. These discs get their nutrition (water included) through a process known as imbibition. Imbibition occurs when there is proper motion between the joints around each disc. 

This type of motion creates an effect similar to a pump, and nutrients are then moved in and out of the disc, meaning that hydration is vital for nutrient delivery. Without proper hydration, the strength of the spinal discs, spine, and even overall health of the body is impacted. By making chiropractic care an integral part of your healthcare routine, subluxations can be removed and alignment is reestablished, which improves the imbibition process. 

Regular chiropractic adjustments are a way to help your body better absorb water and stay healthy. If you feel as if you can benefit from chiropractic care, we urge you to make an appointment with us. Our Duluth Chiropractor Robert Torgrimson has over 30 years of professional chiropractic experience. You can contact Associated Chiropractic Physicians at (218) 728-3686, we look forward to helping you!

Featured Image: “Woman Drinking Water” by Andrea Piacquadio

Family Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic care can be a safe and beneficial resource for your family in many different ways. Oftentimes chiropractors are viewed as individuals who specialize in treating back and neck pain. In reality, chiropractors seek to treat a variety of different health conditions using more natural and holistic methods. 

In many cases, people think about seeing a chiropractor because they are in pain. Most people are under the assumption that if they don’t feel any pain, then there is nothing wrong with them. Unfortunately, pain is a relatively poor indicator of health, and is frequently a symptom that appears after a disease or other condition has advanced. 

For example, consider a cavity in your tooth. Does it hurt when it first develops or only after it has become serious? How about heart disease? Regardless of whether you are talking about cancer, heart disease, diabetes, stress or problems with the spine, pain is usually the last thing to appear. When you begin chiropractic care, the first goal is to begin reducing your symptoms. With consistent chiropractic care over longer periods of time, the goal will be to promote better health and wellness through treatment to prevent symptoms from developing in the first place. 

Another common misconception about chiropractic treatment is that it can only be applied to adults. Despite what many people think, chiropractic care is not only for adults, and it is becoming more common for children to visit chiropractors, as well. Many of the methods and healing procedures performed by chiropractors are non-invasive and do not require the use of medications. We often don’t consider how delicate a child’s body can be, and what can be done to better protect them. Chiropractic care can be supportive in promoting better overall health and wellness in children and adolescents. 

Benefits of Family Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic care is a gentle, effective approach to health and wellness that is safe for the entire family. This includes everyone from babies and children, to adults and seniors. Chiropractic care focuses on rectifying subluxations that are interfering with your body’s internal communications system and causing health problems. Subluxations are a slight misalignment within the vertebrae, and even small misalignments of the spine can create problems that span all over different areas of the body. 

Like adults, infants and children can suffer from spine misalignments. Infancy and childhood can be an important time to look for subluxations because they are times of such rapid growth and development. The brain and spine play key roles in ensuring that your nervous system is working properly. When your nervous system is not working properly, this can affect the brain to body communications that are needed for your body to be healthy.

Chiropractic not only assists in proper alignment of the spine and neck, but it also helps to clear the neural pathways. In turn, this provides additional support to the nervous system to promote better function, which is vital to healthy living. Due to chiropractic’s full-body approach, it’s a good foundation for regular exercise, healthy eating, and a healthy overall lifestyle in kids.

Chiropractic care can effectively treat various health conditions and provide support for many different family lifestyles. Chiropractic adjustments and treatment are known for helping families by:

• Promoting healthier living
• Treating injuries
• Helping with sleep
• Treating common childhood ailments (flu, earaches, asthma, etc…)
• Aiding breastfeeding
• Cost-effectiveness

When it comes to your family, health is a top priority. If you think that chiropractic care is something that can benefit your or members of your family, then we highly encourage you to reach out. Our very own Dr. Robert Torgrimson has been providing chiropractic care to families in the Duluth area for over 30 years. You can contact Associated Chiropractic Physicians at (218) 728-3686, we look forward to helping you!

Featured Image: “Family of Three,” by Vera Kratochvil, licensed under CC0 1.0.

Chiropractic Care For Athletes

Chiropractic care can be an incredibly beneficial resource for athletes. No matter your age, level of competition, or sport that you choose to play, one quality that all athletes share amongst them is their competitive spirit. Many athletes seek out different ways to improve their performance against their opponents, especially when it comes to maintaining proper health. In order for an athlete to perform at their highest level, they need their body and mind to function at a high level too. Chiropractic care can be one way to help achieve this. 

Sports require a lot of physical movements and put a lot more stress on an athlete’s body compared to a typical person. In turn, this means athletes are more prone to experiencing pain or injury. Many chiropractors specialize in sports-related injuries and provide personalized chiropractic care for athletes. Common sports related injuries and ailments that chiropractors treat include sprains/strains, muscle aches, knee/leg pain, and back pain. Continue reading to understand some of the benefits that chiropractic care can offer to athletes. 

Injury Prevention

Many athletes wait until after an injury occurs to seek treatment from a medical professional. The truth is that there are many steps one can take before suffering an injury to actually help prevent them from happening in the first place. Chiropractic care involves using a broad range of techniques to ensure that the spine is in alignment, which also helps in keeping the rest of your bodily functions working properly and effectively.

Chiropractors are more than just back and neck doctors, they are also educated in fields of nutritional science and nutrition counseling. A chiropractic physician can assist an athlete in proper diet and nutrition, sleep guidelines, and proper training strategies that can be utilized as a life-long habit.

Injury Treatment and Pain Relief

When an athlete experiences an injury, they often want to treat it quickly so that they can return to the playing field as quickly as possible. Unfortunately if an athlete does not allow their body to heal properly, there can be more severe or even additional injuries as a result. Chiropractors are well trained and educated within the field of rehabilitative exercise. Many rehabilitative chiropractic treatments help reduce swelling and inflammation in an athlete’s body so it can heal quickly and completely. Chiropractic care also helps promote healthy blood flow throughout the body, which may speed up recovery.

When receiving a spinal alignment, your chiropractor is seeking to treat subluxations. A subluxation is what’s known as a slight misalignment within the vertebrae, and even small misalignments of the spine can create problems that span all over different areas of the body. A chiropractor understands exactly how to detect potential sources of misalignment within the spine. Ensuring that the spine is in proper alignment can also help in keeping the rest of your bodily functions working properly and effectively.

Chiropractic care utilizes a broad range of holistic and non-invasive techniques. Drugs are not always the best option for an athlete facing a serious injury. Not only do they carry the risk of addiction, but they aren’t really helping you heal faster. Instead they’re just masking the pain for a short period of time. Many studies have shown that chiropractic treatment helps athletes recover from injuries faster without the need for painkillers or invasive surgery.

Increased Performance

A misaligned spine or a knee injury can interfere with the functions of all other systems within the body since all parts of the body are connected. This can cause athletic performance to suffer. When athletes seek chiropractic care and are getting regular adjustments, this keeps the spine working smoothly and in turn, helps ensure that other body parts are functioning properly.

With regular chiropractic care, an athlete may notice increased flexibility and reduced muscle stiffness. Now when experiencing less soreness and body tightness, an athlete is able to stretch their muscles more easily and have an increased range of motion, which may help them run faster or catch balls easier. This helps meet the physical demands of the sport while decreasing the risk of injuries from pulled muscles. 

If you are an athlete, or perhaps the parent or friend of an athlete, and want to learn more about how chiropractic care can play a role in your athletic endeavors, then we highly encourage you to reach out.  Our Duluth Chiropractor Dr. Robert Torgrimson has over 30 years of experience treating sports related injuries and working with athletes to maintain positive health outcomes. You can contact Associated Chiropractic Physicians at (218) 728-3686, we look forward to helping you!

Summer Lifestlyes and Chiropractic

As the spring months begin to wrap up and the weather outside becomes more inviting, many of us are starting to look forward to the various activities and lifestyle changes brought to us by summer. This can be a season full of leisure and relaxation, but it’s also a time where we feel more inclined to engage in physical activity. With fewer responsibilities, warmer weather, and a more carefree attitude, summer is a great time to improve your overall physical and mental well-being. 

However, after many months spent dormant and less active, this sudden burst of physical activity can lead to some certain unexpected health problems. Your body might not be ready to endure all of the additional stress that it will garner, and it doesn’t  take much for pain and injury to occur. Before you charge into summer head on, it is important to self evaluate and determine what your body will be capable of taking on. 

Realizing what your body is capable of doing, (or not doing), and understanding what it takes to keep your body and mind in good health is crucial. This can help you to enjoy a full summer of fun while feeling good and pain-free. Luckily, your health and happiness can be maintained by ensuring chiropractic care is part of your summer wellness routine. Continue reading to learn more about how chiropractic care can be beneficial to your summer adventures. 

Healing Support For Injuries

Injuries to the body can happen anytime and anywhere. In some cases injury is unavoidable or caused by an accident. In other cases injury could have been avoided had an individual known what their body was capable of handling. Whatever the case may be, physical injuries do seem to happen more frequently during the summer, likely due to the expanded range of activities that are available to us. 

Oftentimes injuries are caused by a fall or hard impact with a surface, which can cause harm to the area of the body that receives the impact. Other parts of the body that didn’t receive the physical impact can be injured as well due to sudden movements made in order to brace for the collision. New and unfamiliar movements, or just an overall increase in movements of the body can also lead to injury. Overactivity can cause strain and stress to your joints and muscles, which can lead to more serious pain and injury over time if not treated properly. 

Even the seemingly simpler and less demanding physical activities like riding a bike or golfing can lead to an injury at some point. Fortunately, chiropractic care is one of the best and most effective ways at treating injuries to the body. Chiropractic adjustments can help you to recover quickly from soreness and muscle fatigue while also working to prevent future problems from materializing later on. 

Maintaining Improved Health Longer

Chiropractic care can certainly be a great resource for improving your wellness during the summer months, but it doesn’t have to end there. The benefits of chiropractic treatment are not just limited to one specific time period, it is something that you can use to support positive health and well-being year round. 

Postural problems related to long periods of inactivity are another one of the main ailments the chiropractors will treat. Many folks who spend most of their days working a desk job, or folks who simply don’t have the time or ability to partake in more physical activity can end up experiencing health issues as well. Chiropractic care involves using a broad range of techniques to ensure that the spine is in alignment, which also helps in keeping the rest of your bodily functions working properly and effectively. Many of the aches and pains you might be experiencing from your desk job can be addressed through regular sessions and adjustments with a chiropractor.

When receiving a spinal alignment, your chiropractor is seeking to treat subluxations. A subluxation is what’s known as a slight misalignment within the vertebrae, and even small misalignments of the spine can create problems that span all over different areas of the body. A chiropractor understands exactly how to detect potential sources of misalignment within the spine. 

Chiropractic adjustments on a specific inflamed area of the body can reduce stress on the nervous system, allowing it to better communicate with the rest of the body. In addition to their healing support, chiropractic adjustments can actually help to boost your immune system, which can come in handy once cold and flu season roll around. Chiropractors are more than just back and neck doctors, they are also educated in fields of nutritional science, nutrition counseling, and rehabilitative exercise.

If you think chiropractic care is something that can become a part of your summer routine, or can benefit you in some other areas of life, then we highly encourage you to reach out. Our Duluth Chiropractor Robert Torgrimson has over 30 years of professional experience treating various types of ailments and conditions. Our team at Associated Chiropractic Physicians will work with you to create a personalized course of treatment suited specifically to meet your needs. If you are interested in learning more, or want to schedule an appointment, please contact us at (218) 728-3686, we look forward to helping you!

How The Spine Affects Your Entire Body

The spine is one of the most important parts of the body. Most of us think of the spine just as a network of bones, muscles, and tendons that span from our necks down to our tailbone. We know that without our spines, most of us wouldn’t be able to move our bodies in ways that we have become accustomed to, such as standing upright or bending over. 

While the unique anatomy of the human spine allows us to move in ways that most other living things can’t, it also plays a critical role in maintaining the health of our other bodily functions as well. However our spinal health is something that many of us overlook, or simply just don’t understand enough. In many cases, poor spinal health can be attributed to ailments of the body that are not even related to the areas surrounding the neck or back. 

Even conditions like poor mental health, which aren’t physical in nature, can be traced back to poor spinal health. By having a better understanding of what the spine is and how it functions, we might in turn achieve more positive overall health outcomes for ourselves. 

What Exactly Is The Spine?

Your spine might not be something that you think about a lot, but it is actually one of the most important parts of your body. It is made up of 33 bones, 120 muscles, 100 joints, and about 220 ligaments. Those 33 small bones within the spine are called vertebrae, and they are stacked on top of each other creating three major curves or segments along the spine.

Between each vertebra is a soft, gel-like cushion called a disc that helps absorb pressure and keeps the bones from rubbing against each other. The spine gives your body structure and support. Under healthy conditions, it allows you to move freely and with much flexibility. While the spine plays a crucial role in bodily movement, it is also designed to protect the spinal cord, which is just as important. The spinal cord is a column of nerves that connects your brain with the rest of the body. 

This large collection of nerve tissues carries messages from your brain and delivers them throughout the body, allowing you to actually control the movements that you want your body to make. Each vertebra has a hole in the center, so when they stack on top of each other they form a hollow tube that holds and protects the entire spinal cord and its nerve roots. Needless to say, it’s a very complex system, which is one of the main reasons why many of us don’t fully comprehend its functions and its influences on overall health.

The Importance of Spinal Health

Due to the complex nature of its operating parts, the spine is more vulnerable to developing problems over time that can negatively impact your overall health. One of the more well-known issues that can arise from poor spinal health is back pain. According to the American Chiropractic Association, up to 80% of Americans will deal with back pain at some point in their lives. When dealing with back pain you may be lacking the certain flexibility and mobility required to carry out certain tasks. Everyday bodily movements such as getting in and out of bed, going to work, or spending time playing with your kids can become much harder to manage when dealing with back pain. 

Additionally, since the spine plays a part in your central nervous system, it also plays an important role in your mental health. Certain misalignments of the spine can trigger responses leading to hormonal imbalances, migraines, and headaches. In turn this can cause mood changes, lowered emotions, and a decrease in energy which could affect things like sleep quality and how one responds to stress. 

Given the spine’s central role in both the central nervous system and musculoskeletal structure, it is essential that we treat and manage it with care. Having a healthy spine allows your brain and spinal cord to work together in order to carry out all of your bodily functions. No matter your age, having a healthy spine is crucial when it comes to living a more healthy and productive life. 

Chiropractic care can be one of the most beneficial tools for individuals looking to maintain proper spinal health. One of the primary things that chiropractors look for when treating patients are misalignments – or subluxations – of the spine. The spine is a very complex and sensitive area of the body, and even small misalignments of the spine can create problems that span all over different areas of the body.

The good news is that with the proper care and treatment, a chiropractor can help keep your spine in alignment, which in turn can keep you healthier and happier. Our Duluth Chiropractor Dr. Robert Torgrimson has over 30 years of experience treating patients with various ailments related to the spine. If you have issues related to spinal health, or are interested in learning more about how chiropractic care could benefit you, then we highly encourage you to reach out to us. You can contact Associated Chiropractic Physicians at (218) 728-3686, we look forward to helping you!

Chiropractic Care and Your Immune System

With the increased presence of COVID-19, many of us have taken additional steps to understand the functions of our immune system and learn about different ways we can protect ourselves from getting sick. Despite the many challenges that COVID has caused us to deal with, one of the benefits of the pandemic is a greater public awareness of not only our own health, but also in protecting the health of those around us. 

With a greater public interest related to health, more of us have become educated on building healthier lifestyle choices that can have a positive impact on our overall well-being. Whether it be through better diet choices, a new exercise regimen, or maintaining a healthier weight, surely there have been new habits added to your daily routines at some point during the pandemic to assist your immune system and protect yourself from ailments and illnesses. Combining these types of habits along with increased personal hygiene and sanitation efforts can have a profound impact on yourself, but it can also help protect those around you as well. 

Individuals with weakened immune systems, such as the elderly or people already dealing with pre-existing ailments, are likely to face more frequent and severe symptoms when their bodies are compromised by infections and disease. We’ve likely elevated the frequency of already learned simple tasks such as washing and sanitizing our hands, as well as adding newer more unfamiliar approaches such as masking and social distancing. Whether we are aware of it or not, we have naturally adopted certain methods into our daily lives to help safeguard others, perhaps without even personally knowing who they are. 

While these new formed lifestyle choices are a positive trend in the right direction, there are also other steps that individuals can take to better protect themselves, their families, and others within their communities. For some, these new changes might be enough to supplement their health now, but for many it either isn’t enough or they are still lacking the proper education and support that they need to continue building positive impacts on their health later down the road. Luckily, there are reasonable and practical options out there for those looking to help boost their immune system and overall health. One of those options is by receiving regular chiropractic care.

How Chiropractic Care Can Boost Your Immune System

To learn how chiropractic care can benefit your immune system, it is important to first understand what your immune system really looks like. Made up of various organs, cells and proteins, the immune system plays a vital role in keeping us alive and healthy. Over the course of our entire life, the immune system keeps our bodies safe from harmful germs, viruses, substances, and potential cell changes that could cause us to fall ill. 

A strong immune system will support your body and allow it to quickly and effectively release antibodies when harmful compounds are detected. Sometimes our immune systems will become compromised due to a broad range of factors, and in some cases, with few answers as to why or how. Some people with compromised immune systems will spend years trying to find the answers and understand why their condition seems to be so severe when compared to others. 

This is where chiropractic care can be particularly helpful in addressing certain deficiencies within the immune system. Chiropractic care seeks to improve the function of the nervous system and the bodily functions. The nervous system and the immune system are both hardwired to work together in order to create optimal responses within the body and to relay information amongst its various functioning parts, such as the brain and organs. 

The nervous system sends information to the brain from all over the body and can actually directly influence receptors in the immune system. The brain has the ability to use nerve cells to communicate directly with the immune system and trigger an immune response, and vice versa. The immune system can send signals to the brain to let it know of any foreign, unwanted antigens, and in turn the brain can then tell the nervous system how it should respond accordingly. Adjustments on a specific inflamed area of the body can reduce stress on the nervous system, allowing it to better communicate with the rest of the body. The better your nervous system can function and communicate, the better the rest of your body can function and communicate.

Any sort of dysfunction within the body can throw off the balance of your immune system. Your immune system is essentially pushed into overdrive all the time when something in your body is sending “threat” signals. It is sometimes the case that a subluxation in your spine is the cause of a serious dysfunction within your central nervous system. A subluxation is what’s known as a slight misalignment within the vertebrae, and it is what a chiropractor seeks to treat when providing care. 

If you are someone who deals with immune system deficiencies, or are looking to further boost your immune system in some way, then you may be considering the option of receiving chiropractic care. A chiropractor understands exactly how to detect potential sources of misalignment within the spine. Chiropractic adjustments on a specific inflamed area of the body can reduce stress on the nervous system, allowing it to better communicate with the rest of the body. If your nervous system can function and communicate better, then so too will the rest of your body. 

Chiropractors do more than just perform adjustments, they are also experts in nutritional counseling and nutrition science, and can assist you in multiple different aspects when it comes to immune health. They can provide you with personalized diet plans and certain exercise regimens that cater to your specific needs which can also encourage better immune health. Our Duluth Chiropractor Dr. Robert Torgrimson has over 30 years of experience treating various ailments through the holistic approach of chiropractic care. 

If you are interested in learning more about our chiropractic services, then we highly encourage you to reach out to us. You can contact Associated Chiropractic Physicians at (218) 728-3686, we look forward to helping you!

Losing Weight With Chiropractic Care

With summer just around the corner, you might be looking to shed some excess weight and begin to tip that pesky scale back in your favor. For many of us, we find that over the long winter months we tend to become less active and spend more time indoors because it is simply too cold to spend enjoyable time outside – especially in Minnesota. 

Along with less bodily activity, our diets and nutritional intake begin to shift in the wrong direction as well. We might find ourselves indulging in “heartier” meals because we are under the impression that we need to “fatten up” in order to stay comfortably warm throughout the harsh winter. These meals tend to include foods with higher fat content and more carbohydrates, leading to more overall caloric intake. 

This is a completely natural tendency to have, in fact we are all inclined to make these choices whether we know it or not. It is a well known evolutionary trait for humans in colder climates to naturally overeat because historically, food was more scarce and harder to come by during the winter months. However, nowadays most of us have easy access to food resources, and are able to control what and how much we eat when comparing ourselves to our ancestors. 

With that, we should be more mindful of what we put into our bodies and begin to avoid living our lives under the facade that we need to eat more during the winter. The truth is we should always be striving to eat healthier and finding the means to exercise our bodies year round, not just during the months where it is more convenient for us. 

Why is Losing Weight so Hard?

There is no denying that for most of us, it can be very difficult to lose weight on our own. We might try new fad diets, exercise routines, or supplements and cleanses in hopes of finding a quick fix to a long term solution. In many cases we might see instant results, then over time our results and goals begin to plateau and we lose the motivation to continue moving forward and resort back to our old unhealthy habits. 

In other cases, these new behaviors that we think are helping us get healthier are actually harming us. A lot of the diet and exercise trends you may see on TV or on social media are far too extreme and can actually lead to decreased physical and mental performances in your daily life. That, coincidentally enough, is the side of life that your favorite actor or social media influencer isn’t going to let you see when they introduce you to these so-called “trends”. 

Nevertheless, maintaining a healthy weight is still something that we should view as being extremely important. Obesity is a serious issue that we face in the United States, and is a condition that can lead to severe consequences for our health. Some of the most common health problems attributed to obesity include diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and arthritis among many others. By losing weight, or maintaining a healthy weight you can help avoid these troubling health problems and work towards living a longer and more enjoyable life.

Chiropractic Care and Weight Loss

There are many different factors when it comes to weight loss, all differentiating between the certain traits and characteristics that vary from person to person. Depending on your current weight, age, sex, genetics, and metabolism, it can be difficult to understand and determine the most effective route that you should take when it comes to losing weight. Fortunately, for those who may need some extra help in understanding and making decisions related to their weight, chiropractic care is a logical and natural option. 

Chiropractors are more than just back and neck doctors, they are also educated in fields of nutritional science, nutrition counseling, and rehabilitative exercise. Chiropractors are more than capable of providing assistance related to weight loss, and can help you achieve your weight loss goals under more safe and controlled circumstances. A chiropractor can personally work with you to determine specialized nutrition plans and exercise regimens based on your specific needs and personal factors, such as your age and metabolism. Our Duluth Chiropractor Robert Torgrimson has specialized in nutritional counseling and weight loss for over 30 years.

Regular chiropractic adjustments can also be beneficial when it comes to weight loss. By getting regular adjustments, a chiropractor is treating subluxations, or dysfunctions of the spine, which are likely causing issues with your central nervous system. When your nervous system isn’t functioning properly, this means that your brain isn’t properly communicating with the rest of your body and vice versa. By better aligning the spine, your chiropractor is aiding the many bodily systems within you, and helping to restore and improve their functions. This improved communication inside your body can ultimately reduce inflammation and support your metabolism making it easier to burn fat. In turn, that will create better performance during exercise and enable your body to burn more calories. 

If you are interested in learning more about our weight loss and nutritional counseling services, or are someone who thinks that they can benefit from chiropractic care in any way, then we highly encourage you to reach out to us. You can contact Associated Chiropractic Physicians at (218) 728-3686, we look forward to helping you!