Are You Ready for Shovel Season? Protect Your Back!

Shoveling snow is one of the biggest reasons people in the Midwest throw out their back each year.

According to Mass General Brigham, protect your back while shoveling by:

• “Warm up beforehand by moving your body, maybe practicing a few repetitions of shoveling movements.
• Use proper equipment, ensuring that the shovel is not too long or too heavy. Space your hands out on the handle to increase your leverage.
• Try to push the snow rather than lift it. When you do have to lift, only collect small amounts at a time. Then, walk the snow to where you want to put it. Don’t throw it to the side or over your shoulder, which can force you to twist and cause injury.
• Bend and straighten your knees to lift the shovel, instead of bending at the waist. And keep your back straight. This squatting technique puts the work in your legs instead of your back and helps stop you from leaning forward.
• Listen to your body. Pace yourself and take breaks, rather than power through until the job is done. If you’re expecting a lot of snow, start early and work in shorter shifts throughout the day. This way, you won’t have to lift very heavy loads of tightly packed snow.
• Gently stretch your muscles during breaks and after you’re done.”

If you’re tired of treating the same symptoms, give something new a try. Sit down with a professional at Pivotal Chiropractic and tell them about your conditions. After an examination, you may learn that a real solution is not as far as you might think, and chiropractic care could be what you’ve been looking for.

Read more about back pain relief in Ann Arbor on our website.

Come to Pivotal Chiropractic for Back Pain Relief!

We understand that healthcare choices are critical decisions and that you have many different options to treat back pain in Ann Arbor and the surrounding communities. If you have back pain, neck pain, or tingling or numbness in your hands and feet, it’s time to see a chiropractor. To schedule a complimentary consultation, contact us at 734-221-0362.

How Your Sleeping Habits Can Contribute to Back Pain

Many people experience back pain first thing in the morning, especially when moving from lying down to standing. Stiffness in the morning is usually because of decreased blood flow while sleeping, and symptoms usually subside after moving around.

However, some people experience morning back pain more often than normal.

To help reduce back pain first thing in the morning, consider the following:

1) Sleeping positions: If you’re constantly feeling back pain in the morning, your sleeping position could be the culprit. Poor sleeping positions can put pressure on your spine. If you’re a stomach sleeper, you may experience back pain more frequently. Doctors recommend sleeping on your side or your back with a pillow between your knees.

2) Bad mattress: Switching out your old mattress for a new one could help reduce back pain. Switching out a mattress older than 9 years old can improve sleep quality, reduce back discomfort, and reduce stress.

Read more about relief for morning back pain on our website!

Come to Pivotal Chiropractic for a Chiropractor Who Puts You First!

We understand that healthcare choices are critical decisions and that you have many different options for treating back pain in Ann Arbor and the surrounding communities. If you have back pain, neck pain, or tingling or numbness in your hands and feet, it’s time to see a chiropractor. To schedule a complimentary consultation, contact us at 734-221-0362.

How to Relieve Back Pain in the Morning

Do you wake up and have lower back pain?

Many people experience back pain first thing in the morning, especially when moving from lying down to standing. Stiffness in the morning is usually because of decreased blood flow while sleeping, and symptoms usually subside after moving around.

However, some people experience morning back pain more often than normal. Persistent back pain can be caused by:

• Stress
• Poor posture
• Underlying medical conditions

Read more about relief for morning back pain on our website!

Come to Pivotal Chiropractic for a Chiropractor Who Puts You First!

We understand that healthcare choices are critical decisions and that you have many different options for treating back pain in Ann Arbor and the surrounding communities. If you have back pain, neck pain, or tingling or numbness in your hands and feet, it’s time to see a chiropractor. To schedule a complimentary consultation, contact us at 734-221-0362.

Strength Training Workouts to Prevent Back Pain

Do you have lingering back pain that keeps you from doing activities you once enjoyed?

Most people think that strength training will only aggravate injuries, but did you know strength training exercises are a great way to stay fit generally, but also improve mobility, confidence and overall health, including back pain?

When done properly, strength exercises do exactly that – strengthen weak muscles in your legs, core, and back, which will give you more support over time and help reduce back pain.

Do you feel there is something preventing you from trying strength training? Remember, you don’t need a gym membership to lift weights.

Regular household items can work just fine. Water jugs, cans of food, bricks, boxes filled with books, and cheap resistance bands to name a few. Get creative and stick with the program to build strength.

Read the full article on our website about reducing back pain with strength training!

Come to Pivotal Chiropractic in Ann Arbor for a Chiropractor Who Puts You First!

We understand that healthcare choices are critical decisions and that you have many different options for a chiropractor in Ann Arbor and the surrounding communities. If you have back pain, neck pain, or tingling or numbness in your hands and feet, it’s time to see a chiropractor. To schedule a complimentary consultation, where a conversation is never a commitment, contact us at 734-221-0362.

Reduce Back Pain with Chiropractic Care

Do you lead an active lifestyle, but prefer running or cardio workouts over strength training?

Do you have lingering back pain that keeps you from doing activities you once enjoyed? 

When done properly, strength exercises do exactly that – strengthen weak muscles in your legs, core, and back, which will give you more support over time and help reduce back pain.

Here are some other ways strength training can be beneficial:

1. Stronger heart: Strength training can burn the fat that surrounds your organ easier and more efficiently than simple cardio workouts. Burning that fat (visceral fat) can decrease stress on the heart and improve its capability to pump blood.
   
   
2. Better mental health: Exercise releases “feel good” hormones (dopamine) which act as a reward to your brain. Strength training in particular increases self-confidence, which is a great way to combat anxiety and depression.

Read the full article about how strength training can reduce back pain on our website!

What’s the Difference Between Structural Chiropractic Care and Conventional Chiropractic Care?

Most Chiropractors you’ll find on your typical Google search are conventional chiropractors. They focus on reducing pain, inflammation, muscle spasms and increasing range of motion in joints.

They manage these health concerns with the use of general manipulations of the neck and spine. This is what most chiropractors offer in the way of care, and we believe that most of them do a great job at it.

As a Specific Structural Corrective Chiropractor, Dr. Gessert is dedicated to diagnosing and correcting the underlying cause of your condition. If you have back pain, neck pain, or tingling or numbness in your hands and feet, it’s time to see a chiropractor. To schedule a complimentary consultation, where a conversation is never a commitment, contact us at 734-221-0362.

How to Strengthen Your Immune System during Flu Season

Cold and flu season is here, and this year it’s more challenging than ever! 

Do you feel confident in your overall health? Are you wondering if there’s more natural remedies you can add to your daily routines to keep yourself protected from the flu? 

The CDC says common signs and symptoms of the flu include: fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches, and fatigue. 

As a specific correction chiropractor, Dr. Gessert recommends being proactive as opposed to reactive about your health. Instead of waiting to get the flu and treating the symptoms, there are many things you can do to protect yourself to make sure you never get it in the first place! 

Read the full article on our website! 

To keep yourself healthy, it’s important to take care of your health in all aspects! If you’ve been dealing with chronic pain or other issues like back pain, neck pain, numbness or tingling in your hands or feet, or migraine headaches, chiropractic care could be the solution for you. Contact us today to get started!

What is the SI Joint and How Does it Work?

Do you experience lower back pain?

Have you ever stepped awkwardly and then experienced pain in your legs? 

Your sacroiliac (SI) joint could be the cause of your pain.

The sacroiliac joint or SI joint is the connection point between the sacrum and the ilium.  The sacrum is the triangular bone at the base of the lumbar spine and the iliums are attached to each side of the sacrum.  The iliums and sacrum together make up the pelvic complex.  

Here’s how it works:

The sacrum moves through what is called nutation and counter nutation.   Nutation is when the sacral base (the top that connects to the 5th lumbar) tilts forward.  Counter nutation is when it tips backward.  

Not only can the entire bone tilt forward and backward but when we walk or run, one side will nutate and the other will counter nutate.  

For example: when you take a step forward with your right leg, the right side of the SI joint will nutate (dip down and forward) while the left side will counter nutate (rise up and backwards).  This movement happens tens of thousands of times per day, not only with walking, but breathing as well.  

How do I know if I have an SI joint dysfunction?

The only way to be certain if you have an SI joint dysfunction is with a detailed examination and consultation.  

The pain may be worse when sitting with the legs crossed, bending forward, and even extending backwards.  Sometimes the pain may be felt as stiffness, achiness, burning or numbness and it may travel down the leg. 

Visit our website to learn more!

Call Pivotal Chiropractic for SI Joint Pain Relief

There are several noninvasive treatment options if you’re living with SI join pain. The goal is to return the SI joint to the normal range of motion.

For more serious or chronic cases, you should see a chiropractor for further treatment. 

How Does SI Joint Pain Happen?

Trauma to an SI joint can result from a number of different causes.  Sometimes these are serious injuries from events like a car accident or fall onto the buttocks, but sometimes small or repetitive forces weaken the ligaments around the SI joint.  

A few major causes of SI joint pain and injury include:

• Missing a step or landing on one foot 
• Repetitive rotational movements like golfing, bowling, batting, throwing, etc., and axial loading of the spine (Axial loading is when the spine is loaded with weight and the compressive forces transfer down through the spine into the sacrum and SI joints causing the joints to nutate.  This is common with weight lifters and body builders)

How do I know if I have an SI joint dysfunction?

The only way to be certain if you have an SI joint dysfunction is with a detailed examination and consultation.  

However, some of the common secondary conditions that result from an SI joint dysfunction are pain in the low back, buttock, hip and/or groin.  

The pain may be worse when sitting with the legs crossed, bending forward, and even extending backwards.  Sometimes the pain may be felt as stiffness, achiness, burning or numbness and it may travel down the leg. 

Visit our website to learn more!

4 Stretches to Provide Pain Relief While Working at Home

If you’ve been working from home, think about how much movement you’re getting throughout the day. You wake up, walk from your bedroom to the kitchen, poor a cup of coffee, then head to your home office to begin the day. Lunchtime rolls around when you grab a bite to eat, then back to work. When the day finally ends, you probably go sit at the kitchen table, eat dinner, relax on the couch to unwind, and then off to bed … only to wake up the next day and do it all over again. This is a typical day for millions of Americans right now.

What’s the answer?

You have to get your body moving and out of the house! Take 30-45 minutes to work out in the morning or afternoon. This could be a walk or run around the neighborhood, or a series of body weight exercises. If you’re lucky enough to have a home gym, go ahead and pump some iron. Mobility is also important! Spend 2-3 minutes every hour stretching. That might seem like a lot, but its only 2-3 minutes, and in reality, if you mute yourself on those conference calls, so you can multitask.

Spending 2-3 minutes every hour to do some general maintenance on your body will help counteract a lot of the physical stress and achiness you experience while working from home.

Read the full article on our website to see the 4 stretches Dr. Gessert recommends to keep you active while working at home.

Getting Relief from Back Pain while Working from Home

Many folks have been working from home over the past month and a half, and many of our favorite businesses have shut down. Gyms, restaurants, movie theaters, schools, and daycares are the places we frequent the most.

Since we’re encouraged to leave our homes only for groceries and essential health services, most of us have been pretty sedentary.

Research shows that a sedentary lifestyle leads to a myriad of health problems. According to the World Health organization, a sedentary lifestyle leads to an increase in all causes of mortality. It also leads to double the risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity.

In addition to chronic conditions, being sedentary contributes to a number of musculoskeletal conditions including shoulder, hip, neck, mid-back and low back pain. It’s estimated that up to 80% of people experience low back pain at least once in their lifetime. Along with pain comes the psychological effects, like depression, grief, and discomfort. It’s easy to see that sitting around all day, even if you’re working, is not good for your health. How can you get back pain relief?

Read more on our website!