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Treatment for a Stiff Neck in San Francisco & Tips for Better Sleeping Habits

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Treatment for a Stiff Neck, Stiff Neck Treatment, Stiff Neck tips, Stiff Neck Treatment in San Francisco, SF Custom Chiropractic, SF Custom Chiro

We have all been there before where we wake up with some level of neck pain. There can be many factors that cause neck pain and waking up with a stiff neck. There are some factors we can’t control like herniated discs , arthritis and simple aging. However, we can control how we lay our head and what healthy habits we adopt for sleeping.

What Can Cause a Stiff Neck When Sleeping?

When you are sleeping, your body is trying to relax and recover in the position you put it in. Your head or neck might slip into an awkward angle when you sleep. This can cause strain in your neck leaving you with an ache when you wake. If you are an active sleeper, you might experience sudden movements that can actually strain or sprain the muscles in your neck. Injuries can also be a cause of improper positioning when you sleep. Ultimately, if you wake up with a stiff neck, it was caused by a strain on your muscles, ligaments, and joints. At this point, take care of yourself with home remedies for minor cases. Try hot and cold therapy to relax your neck and improve your mobility.

Sleeping Tips to Avoid a Stiff Neck:

  • Re-evaluate your sleeping position: is your neck in alignment with you spine
  • Find the right pillow – Try a neck support pillow
  • Consider the temperature in your room
  • Avoid sleeping on your stomach
  • Stretch your neck before bed

Treat a Stiff Neck & Sleep Better with Chiropractic Adjustments from San Francisco Custom Chiropractic

Getting regular chiropractic adjustments are not only conducive to improved health they are extremely beneficial to help treat stiff neck and any other kind of neck pain you may be experiencing.

Book Treatment for a Stiff Neck at San Francisco Custom Chiropractic

Our chiropractors will restore balance to your entire body not just your neck and pain area. Contact our offices to schedule your next appointment if you wake up with a stiff neck or any kind of pain. We are here to help!

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Treatment for Chronic Neck Pain: Top San Francisco Chiropractor Explains

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Your neck, AKA Cervical Spine, is the structure that not only connects your head and brain to the rest of your body but also contains important nerves, joints, muscles, and bones to provide stability and nerve communication. This unique network needs to be taken care of to help your body interconnect and stay healthy. Chiropractic care is a natural treatment for chronic neck pain.

How Serious is Your Neck Pain? 

We don’t take neck pain lightly so if you are starting to think that your pain is serious come visit our chiropractors. We all have aches and pains here and there whether we are active in our lives or more sedentary. No matter your regime, your neck will experience some kind of strain if it is not in the proper alignment. If you have neck pain that is not improving but actually getting worse, a chiropractor can help. Headaches are also very common but not normal. Unless you are dehydrated or going through caffeine withdrawals, you should not  be experience headaches. If the headache is in the back or side of your head it most likely is coming from your neck. Proper alignment, posture and diet can all prevent neck pain and headache, if you have symptoms, that is your body telling you something is not right.

Generally, most neck pain will resolve within a few days or a few weeks. If you are experiencing pain that persists for longer than few weeks and even months, don’t wait any longer. Our team will be able to detect an underlying cause to your pain and treat or prevent if caught early.

common causes of neck pain, SF Custom Chiro, san francisco chiropractor, neck pain, neck pain treatment

Common Causes of Neck Pain:

Neck Pain Caused By An Accident

Accidents of any kind can cause neck pain. If you experience an accident that generated great force to your neck, it could have affected your spinal cord and nervous system. Even if your pain may be minor it can still persist and give you problems later. With all injuries, it is best to treat it early to help the body heal properly.

Neck Pain Caused By Playing Sports

Athletes also are at risk for chronic neck pain. From contact sports like football and hockey to runners and tennis players, your neck is partly what helps your performance and training. With contact sports, your neck is hit with forceful impact and would benefit from a variety of treatments to the injuries. For runners and those who don’t experience such impact, the muscles and ligaments are still working hard and experience wear and tear if you don’t have proper biomechanics and posture.

Neck Pain Caused By An Auto Injury

If you were in a car accident chances are your neck was affected and you could have some range of whiplash. Even if you don’t feel it now, you could start to experience pain in days or even weeks from impact. It is important to get your neck looked at by a professional to ensure that it gets treated properly to avoid future pain and improper healing

Neck Pain Treatment from Top Bay Area Chiropractors

Neck pain can be easily ignored and something that you just don’t want to deal with. If you are experiencing ANY kind of neck pain and are unsure its severity, visit our expert bay area chiropractors for a consultation to find out. Your visit with us will leave you feeling physically and mentally better.

Contact us for more information and to schedule your consultation!

How To Avoid Back Pain & Injury During the Holidays

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San Francisco, CA

The holidays are almost upon us, and we all likely still have many things to wrap up, from work to holiday shopping, to getting up the tree, and other festive traditions. The holiday time can also bring unwanted stress leading to the most common outcomes of neck and back pain. Here are some tips to help you make the rest of the holiday season more comfortable and enjoyable. 

back pain during the holidays SF Custom Chiro

Stretch to Prevent Back Injury When Decorating

Decorating you ask? With beautiful Christmas lights and elaborate decorations can come strain on your back. Climbing, bending, twisting, stretching your back to reach high and awkward places. Take a few minutes to get your body warm and stretched before you start putting up your Christmas display. A little bit goes a long way and your back will thank you for limbering up as you reach out from the top of your ladder to put the final touch on your Christmas tree.

Can You Avoid Back Pain When Traveling?

If you are traveling this holiday season, taking care of your back is probably the last thing on your to-do list. During long airplane flights or car rides, you are seated and confined which can add to your neck and back pain. There’s a reason neck pillows are popular to get yourself ready for travel. Don’t let traveling add to your stress while trying to enjoy your family time and festive activities. Especially for car trips, don’t be a stranger to rest stops to stretch your legs and back, and while on the plane, encourage yourself to stand up a few times when the seatbelt sign is off. After your travels, treat yourself to a chiropractic treatment to keep your body healthy so you can keep going. 

Overeating Can Put Pressure on Your Vertebrae & Cause Pain

Overeating probably sounds like a broken record this time of the year, however, the importance of making sure you don’t overeat is still just as high. Indulging during the holidays and partaking in serious overeating can, in fact, put pressure on your vertebrae leading to back pain. The more you eat, the more your stomach expands pushing away from your back which can cause your posture and alignment to shift. Keep your portions small when eating, not only will that help you eat less but is also healthier for your stomach to not reach the point of pain from overeating.

Let SF Custom Chiropractic Help You Take Care of Yourself

Take care of yourself this season and set aside time for a 5 or 10 minute walk, quick yoga, or even simple stretching to start your busy days. This time is helpful for your body and mind as you enjoy the busiest and joyous time of the year. Take care of yourself this holiday season and come visit us. Give yourself a gift of health and relaxation with an alignment, deep tissue massage, and total body wellness.

Check out how you can de-stress even further with a holiday deep tissue massage . If you would like to book an appointment, get in touch today.

Can Untreated Whiplash Can Turn Into Chronic Pain?

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San Francisco, CA

Being in a car accident is stressful and scary. Dealing with police reports, damaged cars, insurance, and keeping your fingers crossed that everyone is unharmed. With all of those things to take care of don’t forget to take care of you and your body. While you may be able to see visible damage to your car, you may not be able to see as clearly regarding your own body. Whiplash, being one of the most common injuries from car accidents also often goes untreated. A car accident is one of the more common instances however, whiplash can occur in other scenarios. Whiplash occurs when the head violently “whips” from one direction to another overstretching the muscles, tendons, and ligaments that support the spine. Athletes who play contact sports might also experience whiplash. Leaving whiplash or any type of minor injury or chronic pain go untreated will likely result in long-term effects.

Symptoms of Whiplash

Whiplash symptoms may take just a few hours and up to a few days to appear and it is crucial to seek treatment as soon as you can. If your whiplash goes untreated you are putting your body at risk for long-term chronic pain. Some symptoms people experience are: 

  • Neck, shoulders, or head pain
  • Inability to sleep well
  • Irritability
  • Dizziness
  • Headaches

Benefits of Chiropractic Treatment for Whiplash

Who better to see than a Chiropractor if you have experienced some sort of trauma to your neck and spine. Seeing a chiropractor regularly after an accident will help you avoid long term effects that whiplash might create. The most common, chronic neck pain, can also spread through the back and shoulders. A neck brace can be helpful in the early stages of your injury as well as seeing your chiropractor.

Contact Your San Francisco Chiropractor for Whiplash Treatment

At SF Custom Chiropractic we treat all types of injuries, aches, and pains. Don’t put your health on the back burner and give us a call. From a deep tissue massage to chiropractic care, we will find the best treatment to get you feeling better and back to your life. Contact us today at to book an appointment at one of our multiple locations in the San Francisco Bay area, including the Financial District and Mission/Bernal Heights!

The Importance of Proper Posture: Top Bay Area Chiropractor Explains Why It Matters

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Ever wonder why proper posture is so important? San Francisco chiropractor, Dr. Adam Jacobs, explains how correct spinal posture can prevent a variety of potential problems and improve your overall health.

Let’s admit that we all are guilty of neglecting the importance of good posture in our overall health, time and time again! We all are repetitively at fault when sitting in an office chair, sleeping and so on. While the side effects may not be visible initially, a bad posture definitely takes a toll on our overall health.

Proper posture is as important as eating a nutritious diet. In fact, at our San Francisco chiropractic offices, we often tell our patients that perfect posture trains your body to place the least strain on supporting muscles and ligaments during movements or daily activities. It helps maintain the wellness of the nervous system and the spine.

Why having a proper posture is so necessary?

Besides presenting a good appearance, there are various advantages of a good posture. These are:

  •         Prevents the spine from getting fixed or stuck in abnormal positions.
  •         Lowers the stress on the ligaments that holds the spinal joints together
  •         Maintains the correct alignment of the bones plus joints for the proper use of muscles and nervous system
  •         Reduces the abnormal wearing of the surfaces of joints that may cause arthritis.
  •         Prevents backaches as well as muscular pain
  •         Opens up the lungs for allowing more oxygen supply inside the body that moves into the muscle and brain cells and augments your overall energy level.

Keeping a good posture means maintaining an alignment of every body part with its adjacent parts. A proper posture restores the balance and support of all parts. When standing, your exact standing posture should look similar to sketching a straight line from the earlobe, over the shoulder, knee, hip and right into the middle of the ankle.

However, what actually happens if you fail to flaunt a proper posture? Let’s find out.

How bad posture might interfere with your health?

One of the most serious problems involving bad posture can be developing a kyphosis or scoliosis spinal curvature which slowly impacts the spine to alter its normal positions. The human spine has four natural curves that create an “S” shape in the coronal plane. Too much curve in the mid back can lead to a condition called hyperkyphosis, or a buffalo hump.  Too much curve laterally in the sagittal plane can lead to scoliosis. Since bad posture alters the spinal alignment, the resulting motions are negatively affected leading to subluxations that result in less blood supply and altered nervous system response. 

Bad posture leads to serious problems within the skeletal system as skeletons are the support system of our entire body. Slouching or slanted postures lead to rib compression and curving of the spine. The rigidity of the rib cage makes your lungs to not expand fully. This leads to a lack of oxygen supply that impacts your entire body’s systems.

The cervical spine or neck tends to feel the burden from bad posture first. Neck pain leads to tension that radiates lower to the shoulders and upwards causing headaches. Our muscular system works in tandem with the skeletal system to facilitate movement and posture. It helps us to maintain our body positions against the force of gravity and allows us to generate movements.

·         Posture and your digestive system

Ever thought that a bad posture can impact your digestive system? Well, yes, it can! An imperfect posture accompanied by a lack of exercise and, in some instances, obesity can weaken the stomach muscles that generally hold the pelvis in its exact position. Weak muscles denote that the pelvis is tilted forward which aggravates poor posture and causes pain while standing erect.

An abnormal slouched posture has been found to be a contributing factor to digestive issues like acid reflux or hernias. The most convenient way to strengthen the abdominal muscles and provide back support is through perfect posture.

·         Posture and your cardiovascular health

Your breathing becomes easier and deeper with good posture. You will feel less fatigued as a good posture gives you higher oxygen levels and greater energy boost.

With all that being said, how would you know what a proper posture is? Let’s find out.

 

How should the proper posture look like?

·         The proper sitting posture

A good sitting posture comprises of an erect spine and head with the maintenance of the three natural back curves. A slumped sitting posture and a slouched position with head forward reflect a bad posture.

While sitting in an office chair, keep your back aligned against the office chair back. For lengthy sitting make sure that the chair is ergonomically crafted to provide back support and is custom fit. We also recommend Intelliskin (which can be purchase through our shop page) if you find it hard to have good posture on your own while sitting at your desk.

·         The proper standing posture

Always stand with your weight placed mostly on the balls of your feet and not on the heels. It is highly recommended to position your feet slightly apart, approximately at shoulder-width. Let your arms hang naturally down adjacent to your body. Always stand straight and tall with your shoulders upright and refrain from locking the knees.

Tuck a bit your chin to maintain the head level and make sure that the head is square above the spine and not pushed out ahead. If you are standing for a lengthy period, then rotate your weight from one foot to the other or move from heels to toes. While standing it is important to keep your ears, shoulders, hips, and ankles in a vertical line. Generally, by raising your chin up you help to resolve standing postural problems.

·         The best posture for your knees

A proper knee posture safeguards your thigh and lower leg bones. While sitting keep your knees bent at a right angle slightly above than the hips. Your ankles should be placed slightly ahead of your knees. While driving also, your knees should be slightly higher compared to your hips.

How to determine if you have a good posture?

Simply, have a self-examination called ‘mirror exam.’ Stand in front of a full-length mirror and observe whether:

  •         Your shoulders are at level and your head is straight.
  •         Your hips are level and your kneecaps face directly ahead and you have straight ankles.
  •         Also, see that the spaces between your arms and side appear equal.
  •         Ideally aligned feet and ankles would face forward instead of turning inward or outward.

 

Various integrative therapies are also employed to reduce pain through healthy posturing. The Gokhale method created by Esther Gokhale employs the procedure of perfect posture and movement to eradicate back, muscle or joint pain and return back to a pain-free life.  It also helps you to tackle muscle and joint degeneration and augments your stamina and flexibility. The tools help you to regain your natural posture.

Over to You – Is it times to schedule an appointment with a local San Francisco chiropractor?

We hope that the above-mentioned points were successful in letting you know the importance of a good posture. It is thus highly recommended to visit a chiropractor if you spot any posture issues.  If you are in the greater San Francisco Bay Area and would like to book and appointment with one of our specialists, contact us here .

Treating Muscle Knots: Advice from San Francisco’s Leading Chiropractors

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San Francisco, CA

In this day in age of over work, over stressed, poor posture humans it is an anomaly to find someone that doesn’t have muscle knots rather than finding someone that does. Luckily there are effective ways to treating them and most of these tried and true ways can be achieved at a SF Custom Chiropractic location.  

If you do have a painful muscle knot or any kind of stiffness, here are a few ways in which it can be treated.

1. Massage

Massage is not only an occasional luxury that you need to save for your vacations or spa but is also a therapy in itself. Massage therapy can help a lot in treating muscle knots. A good masseuse will know how to deal with areas of tension and muscle knots by applying the right amount of direct pressure on the grain of the muscle till the knot is located. Once the muscle is isolated, it is massaged outwards from the knot till it is broken down.

2. Active release technique

Treating muscle knots using the gold standard active release technique is another reliable way that chiropractors around the world help patients feel better. ART treatment is like a deep tissue massage with motion which works by breaking up adhesions in the soft tissues of the affected area. This technique is very popular amongst athletes for performance and sports injuries. Each ART session is specially customized depending on the severity and location of the muscle knot.

3. Heat

Heat increases the flow of blood in the affected area. It may also reduce the pain and muscle tension by helping you relax. Taking a hot shower for a few minutes, or using a hot pack to treat the muscle knot can help you in fetching quick relief. Place a towel between your skin and the hot pack in order to prevent your skin from burning. Heat therapy can be used three to five times a day till the knot disappears. It can definitely give you temporary relief in acute cases.

4. Stretching

Gentle stretches can help in reducing muscle tension and pain from pulled muscles or knots. Stretching keeps the muscles pliable. Including stretching in your daily routine can prevent muscle knots. Yoga or tai chi combines exercise with stretching. To treat muscle knots, one could practice this for an hour every day.

5. Heat and ice

Contrast therapy can also help you in fetching relief from muscle knots. A heating pad or cold compress can ease some of the pain that comes with muscle knots. It is important to use a cooling spray in coordination with stretching. Start with cold for 10 minutes then use heat for 10 minutes and finish with cold for 10 minutes. Never put ice or hot packs directly on the skin.

If you you like to try any of these treatments for your muscle knots, feel free to give us a call at 415-788-8700 or book an appointment here.

 

5 Yoga Poses for Upper Back and Neck Pain

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Blog Contributor: Colleen Bolland

https://www.movewith.com/ColleenApril

moxi.yoga

Does this look familiar?!

If you’re like neck shoulder painmost Americans, you suffer from some form of back pain. And, if your job requires you to sit at a desk throughout the day, chances are that you’re feeling it all over. There is a lot of accessible information online for treating lower back pain, but what do you do about the burn in your neck and shoulders? Below are five simple yoga poses that you can do almost anywhere to help relieve upper back and neck pain.

cow face pose

  1. Cow Face Pose (Arms Only):

Reach your right arm up, palm facing forward, and reach your left hand down, palm facing backward. Bend both arms at the elbow, the right arm bent behind your head to find your left between your shoulder blades. If your hands cannot meet, grab onto your shirt for the stretch. Breathe deeply, lift your chest, and sit up tall (try not to tuck your chin). Stay in this position for 5-7 long breathes.

  1. Eagle Pose (Arms Only):eagle pose

Extend both arms straight out from the shoulders, parallel with the floor. Cross your right arm over your left, and bend both, hinging the elbows. From here, you can place your hands on your shoulders if you’re already feeling a stretch. You can also extend your hands toward the ceiling, and cross the left wrist over the right to place your hands together. Hold this position for 5-7 breathes.

  1. Cat Pose & Cow Pose:cat pose

Come to all fours. Stack your wrists under your shoulders and your knees below your hips. Using your breath to guide your movement, inhale, and draw your shoulder blades together. Lift your chest and chin, and relax your belly. Next, exhale, and tuck your chin. Round your shoulders to spread your shoulder blades, and round your upper back. Move through 8-10 rounds of breath (each pose 4-5 times).

  1. Supported Fish Pose:

If you don’t have a yoga block, you can use a towel or blanket, rolled up tightly. Let the top of the block or towel rest just under the base of the skull so your head drapes over the top. Use your forearms and hands to support supported fish poseyourself. Relax, and take 7-10 deep breaths in this posture while letting your head hang heavily.

 

This routine only takes five minutes of your day yet can make a difference worth a lifetime.

 

Common Injuries for Triathletes

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Triathlete Injuries SWIM:

Rotator cuff strain or impingement: Pain on the front or outside of the arm. Common found with repetitive overhead activities (swimming). The group of four muscles mainly responsible for stabilization of the shoulder is collectively called the rotator cuff. Impingement = compression of the rotator cuff tendons between the bones of the shoulder.

BIKE/RUN:

Cervical Strain: Pain at base of skull or along sides of neck. Common with biking because of prolonged extension – May need to have bike fit assessed or posture on bike- use eyes more than neck to look ahead. Frequent stretching helps.

Lumbar Strain/pain: Pain around lower back. May be due to tightness, weak abs, or improper positioning on the bike. Seek medical attention if pain radiates down leg or if you have numbness/tingling.

Patellofemoral Syndrome: Pain in front of the knee or under the kneecap. Can feel pain running, biking, and descending stairs or with prolonged sitting or squatting. Can be caused by anatomic malalignment, poor bike fit or strength imbalances and tightness.

Patellar Tendinitis: Pain below the kneecap. Usually aggravated by jumping and mid to full squat. May feel pain with biking/running. Often associated with decreased quad strength and can co-exist with patellofemoral syndrome.

Hamstring tears or strains: Can occur with running or cycling. Usually caused by tight hamstrings due to overtraining or muscle imbalances. Pain can be sharp and persistent. Gentle stretching, massage, ice for acute injury.

RUN:

Achilles Tendinitis: May have pain, swelling and tenderness to touch at heel cord. Can be due to calf weakness or tightness, poor footwear, overtraining (running) will affect running and possibly cycling.

ITB Syndrome: ITB is a fibrous band that runs down the side of the leg from the hip to the knee. Usually pain is localized to the outside of the thigh, just above the knee and is sharp/stabbing. If the band becomes tight it rubs over bony areas and causes irritation and pain. Pain can be with running or bending the knee with cycling.

Plantar Fasciitis: Pain in heel and can be along the arch. Worst first thing in a.m. Common with pronated feet (low arches) and aggravated by walking/running. May need orthotics or motion control shoes.
Shin Splints: Pain, tenderness, and mild swelling next to the medial (inside) lower half of the tibia (shin bone). Common with overpronators, running on hard/slanted surfaces, or downhill, worn out or inappropriate footwear, tight calves.

All the doctors at SF Custom Chiropractic are sports chiropractors and can always help assist you with your healing process with injuries. Just give us a call to find out more 415.788.8700!

Meet Dr. Mike Grossman!

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Dr. Mike Grossman

WHY CHIROPRACTIC?

Dr. Michael Grossman’s passion for chiropractic began when he suffered a neck injury at the age of 16, falling off his bike, leaving him in agonizing pain for weeks. He had difficulty with sleep and performing his daily activities, until he decided to try chiropractic care. After a few treatment visits he was able to achieve a restful nights sleep and could function in his everyday life without pain. This was the spark that lead to his chiropractic career. Dr. Grossman attended San Jose State University graduating with a degree in Kinesiology and a minor in Complimentary and Alternative Health. After graduating he attended Palmer College of Chiropractic West located in San Jose, CA. While attending chiropractic school he was involved with the sports council working events such as the Sea Otter Classic and Turkey Trot. He also participated in clinic aboard traveling to El Salvador and Fiji delivering chiropractic care to impoverished areas that had poor access to health care. He performed his internship at SF Custom Chiropractic facilitating patient care. Following his internship he was hired on as an associate doctor at SF Custom Chiropractic. Dr. Grossman is certified in Applied Kinesiology, Sacral Occipital Technique, full body Active Release Technique, Fascial Movement Taping, and Tecnica Gavilan. He resides in Cupertino, CA where he takes advantage of the beautiful Bay Area outdoors engaging in activities from camping, biking, hiking, and music festival events.

EDUCATION

Dr. Grossman attended San Jose State University and received his undergraduate degree in Kinesiology with a minor in Complimentary and Alternative Medicine. He attended Palmer College of Chiropractic West for graduate school in San Jose, CA.

A LIFELONG LEARNER

Dr. Grossman is certified in Full Body Active Release Technique, Sacral Occipital Technique, Applied Kinesiology, and Fascial Movement Taping.

INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY

Dr. Grossman has contributed to the community delivering chiropractic care to outreach facilities in San Jose. He also delivers talks on chiropractic care and the benefits at local boot camps, schools, and sporting events.

Meet Dr. Delghi!

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Dr. Delghi UrubshurowWhy Chiropractic?

Dr. Delghi became interested in chiropractic from a young age after experiencing how chiropractic care helped her through a shoulder injury that positively affected her successful academic and collegiate swimming career thereafter. That’s when her passion to help others remain active and pain free first began.

Education
Dr. Delghi completed her undergraduate degree at Columbia University before she received her Doctorate of Chiropractic from Palmer West College of Chiropractic in San Jose. She chose to attend Palmer West because of its well-established reputation for training practitioners in both traditional and sports chiropractic. During her time at Palmer West, she did her internship with Dr. Jacobs at SF Custom Chiropractic.

A Lifelong Learner

Dr. Delghi is certified in the Webster Technique, which is a chiropractic technique used to restore balance to the pelvis of pregnant women throughout their pregnancy. She continues to further her education with a focus on the treatment of extremities and the TMJ.

Involved in the Community

Throughout her chiropractic training at Palmer West, Dr. Delghi participated in its community outreach programs that treated athletes all over the San Francisco Bay Area during various sports events. She was also part of the sports medicine team at St. Mary’s College in Moraga, where she provided chiropractic care to the student athletes. Additionally, she enjoys helping moms discover the many benefits associated with chiropractic care during and after pregnancy.