Washington Park Chiropractic

Cushions for the spine.

By: Dr. Jake Simpson, DC

The discs of the spine are made of a strong cartilage and a “jelly-like” substance inside and are located in between 24 bones of your spinal column.  Each disc is attached to the vertebrae above and below it.  Along with providing cushion from impact and gravity, the discs also space the vertebrae far enough apart from one another allowing for spinal roots (nerves) to leave the spinal cord/column and supply our body with all the nervous system information necessary for a healthy life.  Injury or degenerative processes to the discs can be very painful and traumatic to our body’s ability to function properly.  Problems to the disc include: thinning, wedging, bulging, protrusions, tearing or herniation…note: no “slipping”.     

Each disc has the natural ability to withstand the motions of life.  Healthy discs give you the flexibility of the spinal column and produce a pumping action that supplies proper disc nutrition and waste removal via blood flow.  However, trauma can lead to a chain reaction of negative consequence.  Spinal misalignments and joint restrictions can cause the disc tissue over time to adapt into a wedge-like shape.  While this is the earliest stage of disc damage, symptoms may or may not be present even though disc encroachment unto adjacent nerve tissue may be happening. 

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By Ashley Bennett

I was recently talking with a coach and he said that he often suggested chocolate milk for muscle recovery.  Now that it is coming up on the New Year, many will start to hit the gym.  I figured this would be a good subject to talk about.

What do you do after your workout to recover?  Along with stretching, massage and re hydration, there has been research on the quality of chocolate milk in the recovery process.  I thought I would share an article with you about the nutritional value of chocolate milk and our muscles.  Enjoy!!

Fat-free chocolate milk beat out carbohydrate sports drinks at helping to rebuild and refuel muscles after exercise, researchers report.

The combination of carbohydrates and protein in low-fat chocolate milk appears to be “just right” for refueling weary muscles, says William Lunn, PhD, an exercise scientist at the University of Connecticut.

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By Jocelyn Leidenfrost

It is incredibly important to take care of your back.  This may be an obvious statement to anyone reading this blog on the Washington Park Chiropractic website, however, many people take their healthy spines for granted and as a result may suffer injuries later in life.  As for me, I have been taking extremely good care of my back since I was diagnosed with scoliosis in the 6^th grade.  For about four years I wore a back brace almost all day and night to prevent further curvature.  I would take my brace off for several hours a day while I was at my dance studio, in gym class, or running around at soccer games or practices.  After I would outgrow a back-brace I would get ‘molded’ for a new one; I was told this was similar to getting a cast even though I have never broken a bone on my body other than a finger (knock on wood)!   I would also do exercises every night or day to strengthen my back and take hot baths before bed to relax my muscles.  My mother was always by my side and I still fondly remember our visits to my orthopedic doctor who always told me that I could still do anything in the world that I wanted to, as long as it was legal.

Screenings at Washington Park Chiropractic

For anyone reading this with children, I think it is absolutely crucial to have your kids get yearly scoliosis screenings. In my case, my middle school offered free screenings but it wasn’t until my pediatrician did a scoliosis check that I found out.   Dr. Goodman has found scoliosis in several children over the last few years (when their pediatrician missed it!)  Regular check-ups with our doctors will ensure that your child’s spine is cared for early on.  About 7 million people in the United States are affected by scoliosis and surgery can possibly be avoided if caught soon enough. 

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By: Amanda Miller

I started working in the wellness industry when I was still a teenager.  I began working as a receptionist in a massage therapy center in Pennsylvania, and that experience sparked my interest in health, healing and the body.  As I got older, I remained passionate about holistic health, and now I’ve been in the industry for well over a decade.  But the one question I keep coming back to year after year is, “Why is it so easy for me to give out great advice or information to my clients, but so hard for me to follow myself?”.  I do massage almost every day, and I spend all day telling my clients how important it is to take time for themselves and treat their bodies well, but have a hard time taking my own advice – it makes me wonder, why is it so easy to take care of everyone and everything else, but so hard to make oneself a priority?

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 It’s common knowledge that the school cafeteria has become just another franchise; foods aren’t healthy and well-balanced. Vending machines offer chips, cookies, sodas and all kinds of other junk foods that children shouldn’t be eating. This creates a challenge to parents that many have decided to ignore.

 Accepting that it’s a lost cause many parents have rationalized that the rest of their children’s meals are healthy and nutritious so they can be lax regarding lunch. This is a misconception, considering what is being served in the majority of school cafeterias.  

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