"Stashing" Your Stress?

Are you trying to “wear your shoulders for earrings?” It’s common to hold stress in the upper back, shoulders, and neck. Resulting discomfort and tension add to fatigue during the work day. For a quick release, shrug your shoulders up and HOLD. Count to 5, the quickly drop them. Then roll your shoulders up and back several times. 

Pillow Talk: Are You Sleeping On the Right Pillow?

Are you sleeping on the right pillow? A pillow that doesn’t adequately support the cervical spine can be the reason for persistent neck and upper back pain. It should give consistent, resistive support to the spine during the night. Pillows filled with down or buckwheat hulls may feel good at the start, but they deform as you sleep. Memory foam depresses, so your head sinks in. Look for an orthopedically designed pillow. I carry good ones in my office. Contact me with questions, 831-476-2168.

Medicare = GOOD Insurance!

The Medicare deductible for chiropractic is just $166 per year. Where else can you get insurance that covers chiropractic care of the spine for such a low deductible? Be sure to inform your chiropractor as soon as you are covered under Medicare.

Kyphosis

An accentuated forward curve in the mid-to-upper back, resulting in a “stooped” posture, is called a kyphosis, and is a frequent accompaniment to aging. Sometimes called a “dowager’s hump” because it occurs in women with osteoporosis when the front edges of the vertebrae begin to collapse, it is often progressive, and may become irreversible. Maintaining good bone density, good spinal alignment,  good posture, and  strong posterior muscles can prevent it. Yoga can be an excellent antidote, if started early enough. 

Build A Nest Box For Spring Birds

Cavity nesting birds--those that like hollows for their nests, such as wrens, swallows, bluebirds, and some sparrows---often can’t find a vacant hole in a dead tree, a crack in a building wall, or other natural cavity in which to make their nest. We can provide nest boxes to help. Learn about the kinds of boxes to make and where to put them at https://www.audubon.org/news/build-nest-box-welcome-spring-birds.  Spring migrants will soon arrive, ready to nest and raise their babies.