Tag Archives: family chiropractic care
How Chiropractic Care Can Help You Enjoy Spring
Spring into Wellness
As the seasons change and the days grow warmer, patients across the U.S. are preparing for spring. While winter is an enjoyable time for many, others are looking forward to a season of new beginnings. Still, others are looking forward to relief from the joint pain that often comes with winter. Whether you’re looking to alleviate the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or relief from sports-related injuries, there are many ways a chiropractor can help improve your quality of life throughout spring.
Say Goodbye to Winter Blues
Winter is a beautiful season but leaves many susceptible to joint pain, injuries, and depression. Season Affective Disorder (or SAD), which is more common during fall and winter, occurs due to a lack of serotonin. Left untreated, SAD can lead to bouts of depression and joint pain. Thankfully, a chiropractor can alleviate the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder. Through spinal manipulations and adjustments, your chiropractor can relieve joint pressure and improve nerve function. This, in turn, alleviates the symptoms of SAD.
March Madness
As the days get warmer, more and more people will spend their time outdoors. While some will engage in low-risk activities, others will play high-impact sports. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Football
- Waterskiing
- Running
- Rugby
- Tennis
- Gymnastics
While high-impact sports are a great way to exercise and build strength, they come with a higher risk of injuries. Thankfully, chiropractors are fully equipped to handle any sports-related injuries. To help treat any injuries you might receive on the field, a chiropractor will perform a full assessment. This includes gathering information about your medical history and any past injuries. Then, after carefully examining the injury, a chiropractor will perform soft tissue manipulation, spinal manipulation, therapeutic modalities, education, and exercise prescriptions.
Mood Boosters
Finally, chiropractic care can boost your mood and give you extra energy. Chiropractors reduce joint restrictions which, in turn, can reduce any pain or suffering you might experience throughout spring. Plus, the more energy you have and the better your body functions, the better you will feel!
If you would like to add chiropractic care to your routine before spring hits, contact the professionals at Allen County Family & Sports Chiropractic. Dr. Michael Hartle and his team are experts in treating patients no matter their activity level. Book an appointment today! Dr. Hartle can usually see you the same day you book an appointment.
Should Children Visit a Chiropractor?
Childhood is marked by dramatic change. From infancy to adolescence, your children will experience behavioral changes, growth spurts, and more! Unfortunately, these changes may reveal underlying health problems or developmental delays. While you should always consult your child’s general practitioner (or GP) if they are experiencing pain or discomfort, chiropractors can provide a holistic, natural way to relieve your child’s pain.
Do Chiropractors Treat Children?
Yes, many chiropractors treat children. While 35 million adults visit the chiropractor’s office annually, over 11% of patients are under 18. If you’re looking for a chiropractor that treats children, look for practices with “family” in the name – Family Chiropractors treat all ages.
How Early Can a Child Visit a Chiropractor?
That depends on the parents! Typically, children can visit the chiropractor once they’re a few months old. Birth can be a traumatic event for both mother and child, which can result in damage to a newborn’s nervous system and spine. Chiropractic care can alleviate a newborn’s pain and strengthen their nervous system. If you’re nervous about letting a chiropractor see your child, be sure to schedule a consultation first!
What Does a Pediatric Chiropractic Appointment Look Like?
Treatment is always tailored to the patient’s unique needs. First, a chiropractor will schedule a consultation to determine your child’s individual needs. This includes obtaining a medical history from the child’s guardians or parents. Then, the chiropractor will schedule a physical examination to identify spinal issues and any other health problems.
It’s important to note that chiropractors will apply less pressure to younger patients. Many chiropractors will use fingertip pressure to gently correct spinal issues and bolster the nervous system. While adjusting spinal joints, you may hear some soft popping noises. This is normal and will not harm your child.
When Should a Child Visit a Chiropractor?
Generally, children should see a chiropractor if they suffer from debilitating or chronic pain. If your child’s primary doctor cannot alleviate their pain, a chiropractor may be a useful addition to their treatment schedule. If your child suffers from limited head/neck mobility, back pain, neck pain, hunched shoulders, or irregular sleep patterns, a visit to your local chiropractor may reduce their pain while improving their quality of life.
What Ailments Can a Pediatric Chiropractor Treat?
Chiropractors can treat a wide variety of ailments, no matter the patient’s age. However, children seeking chiropractic care will see improvements if they suffer from several chronic conditions. Chiropractors can alleviate infants’ breastfeeding problems, reflux, colic, and movement issues. Older patients often seek out chiropractic to help with headaches, scoliosis, spinal misalignment, asthma, growing pains, constipation, urinary incontinence, and other chronic issues.
Does Chiropractic Treatment Hurt?
No. Unless your practitioner is treating a severe injury, chiropractic treatment is painless. Any sensitivity your child experiences during treatment is short-lived and should fade shortly after the adjustment.
Fun for the Whole Family
The Allen County Family & Sports Chiropractic is proud to serve clients of all ages! If you or your child needs chiropractic services, schedule an appointment with us today. Dr. Hartle and his team can usually see you the same day you call.
Five Types of Massage Therapy
Massage therapy is one of the best holistic treatments for various ailments. A proven method of pain and stress relief, massage therapy is astonishingly popular – over 47.5 million Americans sought out massage therapy in 2018. Today, we’ll look at five different types of massage therapies and the benefits they offer.
Swedish Massage
One of the most popular therapeutic massages, the Swedish Massage is both relaxing and energizing. Using long, even strokes and rhythmic tapping motions on the outermost layer of muscles, the Swedish Massage focuses on larger muscles (i.e. legs and arms) as well as smaller areas of the body. This massage focuses on deep movements that break down scar tissue and increases blood flow. More advanced masseuses may use effleurage (gliding strokes that relax muscles) or tapotement (short taps using cupped hands.)
Hot Stone Massage
The hot stone massage is another popular therapeutic massage. Created over 5,000 years ago, the hot stone massage was “reborn” in 1993 and experienced a surge in popularity during the next two decades. This therapeutic massage uses warm basalt stones to penetrate muscles and treat stiff limbs. The warm stones are used to massage muscles and relax the body. The heat improves blood flow and circulation while releasing accumulated toxins from the body. To increase effectiveness, have your chiropractor or masseuse place stones over the most stiff muscles in your body.
Deep Tissue Massage
Perfect for those who suffer from chronic pain and tension, the deep tissue massage eases pain and releases toxins from the body. Using deep pressure to penetrate the body, it fixes spammed and knotted muscles as well as heal fibrous adhesion and trigger points. The deep tissue massage can potentially offer relief from chronic conditions, such as fibromyalgia. It can also relieve chronic neck and back pain. Studies suggest that this massage can also improve posture, aid in sports-related muscle recovery, improve limited mobility, and aid in injury rehabilitation.
The Thai Massage
Dating back 7,000 years, the Thai massage is more “active” than other Western Massages. Instead of lying on a bed, customers lie on the floor and actively participate during the session. Thai massage is a combination of yoga, acupressure, and zen shiatsu. Practitioners will gently guide their clients into yoga-like poses and apply a slow, rhythmic massage that increases energy levels and blood flow. Participants can expect to transition from one position to the next to open the joints and facilitate limbering.
A Thai massage has four basic poses: lying supine, lying on one’s side, lying on the back, and sitting up. While the pressure may seem intense at first, an experienced chiropractor will adjust to their clients’ needs. The Thai massage has numerous benefits for the body, including increasing flexibility, eliminating pain, improving posture, stimulating blood circulation, and relieving swollen joints.
Shiatsu Massage
Meaning “finger pressure” in Japanese, the Shiatsu massage is based on applying rhythmic pressure to key points of the body. By applying pressure, the massage is said to restore vital energy (chi). There are many benefits to the Shiatsu massage, including pain relief, headache relief, and improved sleep quality.
If you’re looking for massage therapy that will treat your pain, Dr. Hartle and his team of experts have you covered! The professionals at Allen County Family & Sports Chiropractic are fast, efficient, and can usually see you the same day you call. Book an appointment today!
Why NFL Teams Use Sports Chiropractic Care
American football is one of the most dangerous contact sports to date. According to the Seton Medical Center, over 1.2 million young men are injured while playing football per year. The most common injuries players experience are concussions, overuse, and heat injuries. As players – especially the pros – are vulnerable to injuries, more and more coaches require their team to visit chiropractors. The NFL considers chiropractors essential to a team’s health and well-being, and all 32 teams have chiropractors on staff. As players consider longer careers and spend less time off the field, chiropractors have become a vital part of the NFL.
Proper Joint Function
Many athletes’ careers end prematurely due to improper joint function. Our joints are made of fibrous materials, with a piece of cartilage in the middle. Synovial fluid, a type of liquid found in our joints, ensures smooth and easy movement. Through a series of chiropractic adjustments, professionals help players prevent common joint injuries. These adjustments also have the added benefit of reducing pain and tension in muscles, which ensures that NFL players can run, jump, and tackle with ease.
To prevent injuries, many NFL players will see a chiropractor before or after a game. In fact, a chiropractor performs thirty to fifty adjustments in a regular season. Jerry Rice, a former wide receiver who spent twenty seasons in the NFL, had this to say about the importance of chiropractors: “I did a lot of things to stay in the game, but regular visits to my chiropractor made all the difference.”
Muscle and Joint Maintenance
Football is a brutal sport. From drills to practice to preseason games, players are putting constant stress on their bodies. This leads to wear and tear on the joints, muscles, and spine. Even if players aren’t injured, they may still feel pain and soreness all over their bodies. Through spinal alignment and manipulation, chiropractors reduce pressure on the body’s nervous system. This, in turn, relieves pain without the use of addictive medications. Continued work with a chiropractor helps players perform at their highest level.
As an added bonus, many players have reported increased strength and endurance on the field. The Excellence in Health Chiropractic & Rehab Clinic reports that chiropractic adjustments have been shown to increase endurance and stamina.
Sports Hernia Relief
Athletic pubalgia, also called “sports hernia,” is another common injury athletes suffer from. Sports hernias occur when tears or dilation occurs near the superficial ring of the inguinal canal. These injuries are incredibly painful and can prevent an athlete from participating in games and practice. Thankfully, chiropractic treatments have been shown to improve pain and range of movement for those suffering from sports hernias within eight weeks.
It Treats Symptoms at the Source
Chiropractic treatment has rightfully gained a reputation as a natural, holistic way of treating injuries. Chiropractic care treats pain at the source by applying slight pressure to painful areas. This can aid in the healing process and even reverse some of the causes of pain. For NFL players, chiropractic treatment is non-invasive, meaning they can return to the field and never miss a game.
Whether you’re an NFL player or a fan cheering a touchdown, the Allen County Family and Sports Chiropractic in Fort Wayne, Indiana, can treat your sports-related injuries. Dr. Hartle and his team of experts are fast, efficient, and can usually see you the same day you call. Book an appointment today to relieve your pain.
Happy holidays from the Allen County Family and Sports Chiropractic team!
Why We Offer Chiropractic Care in Fort Wayne, Indiana
At Allen County Sports and Family Chiropractic, we love providing fantastic chiropractic care in Fort Waye, Indiana. It’s our home, and we feel lucky to live and work in such a beautiful community. As chiropractors in Indiana, we believe that every town, city, and neighborhood should have exceptional chiropractic care, including family- and sport-focused.
When it comes to healthcare, you have a lot from which to choose. We feel honored to be your source of healthy, safe, chiropractic care here in Fort Waye.
Finding Good Chiropractors in Indiana
We know that people can feel nervous about seeking chiropractic therapy. We’ve addressed some of the myths and fears that are often associated with chiropractors on our blog before. Because we know that it’s at the back of your mind, we understand the importance of finding safe, high-quality treatments. We strive to provide outstanding service from our team of trained, certified, and reputable staff.
There are many chiropractors in Indiana, but not all provide what we feel is the necessary diversity of services. At Allen County Sports and Family Chiropractic, we focus on the entire body as a whole. We combine traditional chiropractic techniques, like adjustments, with training, nutrition, and even massage. Together, these four practices fully support your body exactly as you need it.
We Provide a Variety of Chiropractic Care in Fort Wayne, Indiana
Our primary chiropractic physician, Dr. Michael Hartle, specializes in traditional and sports chiropractic medicine. He’s also a board-certified Clinical Nutritionist (DACBN), a Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician (CCSP), an Active Release Technique (ART) provider, and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS).
We value this variety of specialties because we understand the body’s connection between skeletal health, nutrition, muscle strength, and training. You can rest assured that Dr. Hartle has you covered! In addition to sports and nutrition specialties, we also offer therapeutic massage from our Massage Therapist, Joshua Poulin. Massage is a significant complement to our adjustments. Whether you’re old or young, an athlete or not, we can help you feel your best with regular chiropractic care in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Sports in Fort Wayne
The community of Fort Wayne, Indiana, is particularly active. We live in a beautiful place with rolling plains that allow for superb opportunities to bike, run, and walk. We’re also lucky to live at the confluence of three rivers, meaning we have many watersports to enjoy.
Being active is great for your health, but it also puts a strain on your muscles and joints that, over time, can cause misalignment issues. That’s why we rest after exercise. But sometimes your body needs a little help with chiropractic care. Slight manipulations of the joints will help your body relearn proper alignments and keep you more loose and flexible. As a result, you recover faster and feel better sooner.
So when looking for chiropractors in Indiana, be sure to find one that provides full-body support. Your body works together to ensure you can continue to enjoy the outdoor activities in beautiful Fort Wayne, and throughout our entire great state. And if you’re ever in our neighborhood, pop in and say hi!
What Do Chiropractors Do?
The question may sound simple enough, but a lot of people misunderstand what chiropractors do. There are a lot of rumors and misconceptions that make people even fear going to the chiropractor. Because we provide family chiropractic care in Fort Wayne, Indiana, we want to address the common myths and assure our community that we’re here to help!
Chiropractors Address Pain
Patients often seek chiropractic care when dealing with one (or more) of these three main types of pain: acute pain that flares up from time to time, chronic pain that impairs their daily life, and pain associated with sports and exercise. Chiropractors address other issues, too, but let’s focus on pain management to start.
Acute and Chronic Pain
Chiropractors help patients manage and heal the pain that impairs their bodies. Whether it’s acute or chronic, first, we determine its source and cause. We work with bones, muscles, and joints. These three work together to keep your body aligned, loose, and flexible. When any of these goals are missing, that’s when you feel pain.
High-quality chiropractic care in Fort Wayne, Indiana, is easy to find with us! We always take a comprehensive look at the entire body, often starting with X-rays and an assessment. Once we find the source of the pain, we can make a treatment plan.
Integrative Treatment Plans
Family chiropractors work with people of all ages, including children, so each treatment plan is unique to you, your body, and your pain. Some are quite simple, requiring a few adjustments over time, followed by a regular annual visit. Others require more adjustments or other components like physical training, diet, and massage. It all depends on the type of pain and its location in your body.
Sports chiropractors work similarly, but those treatment plans often focus on long-term care that helps enhance athletic performance. Perhaps we’ll work with athletes during an entire season or even throughout the year. Regular adjustments, stretching, massage, training, and a healthy diet can keep the body more flexible and less prone to injuries.
What is an Adjustment?
We often hear questions about adjustments. They sound scary, we agree. But forget the images of muscle and bone manipulation or the fear that family chiropractors can hurt you! Our exceptional chiropractic care in Fort Wayne, Indiana, provides the most advanced methods. We use gentle movements and small tools that help stimulate joints back into an optimal position. Misaligned joints shift bones, tighten muscles, and put a strain on your body, causing pain. Adjustments move everything back into the place where it should be.
Family chiropractors recommend several adjustments at the beginning of your treatment because our muscle memory will slowly put them back into an uncomfortable position. Gradually, we help those joints, bones, and muscles remember the correct, pain-free placement, which is why you can phase out of chiropractic care. Still, annual visits can help maintain the pain for longer and even prevent it in the future.
Too Young for a Chiropractor?
Parents want to protect their children—and when it comes to medical care, they want what’s best for them. Many adults who use chiropractors assume that their children are too young for chiropractic care. This belief couldn’t be further from the truth. Family chiropractic clinics offer beneficial services to all clients, regardless of age.
Because the spine and nerves of children are still growing and moving, family chiropractors use special, gentle techniques to adjust the spine as needed. The goals are similar to the treatment in adults—adjustments to take the pressure off the body and alleviate pain for optimal movement—but the method prioritizes the vulnerable frame of your child.
Chiropractor for Children
If you’re searching for a chiropractor for children, you’ll find one at nearly any family chiropractic clinic in Indiana. These types of clinics tend to focus on care for the entire family. And family chiropractic care isn’t just reserved for adults—children are one of the biggest benefactors of the treatment. Let’s look at why.
Family Chiropractic Care Prevents Injury
When you’re an adult, and you see a chiropractor, your body has suffered injury—big or small—from stress, strain, and repeated movement. Pain may only occur after many months, years, or even decades of buildup. With children, their bodies are newer and haven’t yet endured years of stress.
Chiropractors for children use their clients’ youth to their advantage and work to prevent injury and pain from occurring in the first place. If children receive treatment early on, their bodies will perform better and won’t suffer as much in the future. With adjustments, stretching, positioning, and other chiropractic care methods, your child’s youthful bounce can last even longer.
Builds Strength & Flexibility
Along with preventing injury, by receiving family chiropractic care, children can also build their strength in a healthy way that’s appropriate for their age. Regular adjustments and specific exercises that align the back, spine, and pelvis can develop your child’s strength and improve flexibility. These methods work to prevent injury as well, but they can also help your child perform better in daily activities without you worrying about damage or pain.
Educates
Children’s brains are like sponges, and they crave learning. By seeking family chiropractic care for your child, you are allowing them to learn about their health and body. Because of their cognitive abilities at such a young age, children can absorb knowledge in a way that will stick with them for years to come. Learning about their bodies now can set your child up for a healthy lifestyle, even as an adult.
Manages Common Conditions and Diseases
Just because a child is young doesn’t mean that they don’t struggle from certain conditions or diseases. Chiropractors for children specialize in gentle movements and treatments that can go further than pain relief and alignments—they can help kids to cope with life. Chiropractic care is known to help manage common issues such as bedwetting, earaches, digestive issues, allergies, ADHD, crying, and more. Your chiropractor can discover the root of your child’s problem and use gentle movements, adjustments, and exercises to relieve their discomfort.
Family Chiropractors – Facts vs. Myths
Family chiropractic care can be difficult to understand, as there are many myths and rumors that confuse its patients and those seeking treatment. As a popular and beneficial medical practice, it’s important to understand the facts of chiropractic care. Let’s start with the two biggest myths surrounding chiropractors and chiropractic medicine.
Myth #1: Family Chiropractic care isn’t real medicine and chiropractors aren’t real doctors.
Just like any medical student, chiropractors study challenging courses and earn their degrees from accredited institutions. When they finish their program, they are equipped with the knowledge that allows them to practice medicine as primary care doctors, if they wish. Of course, many opt to work in chiropractic care, combining their work with extensive medical knowledge of the entire body. And just as other doctors, chiropractors must complete a residency program and pass exams.
Myth #2: If you go to the chiropractor once, you’ll have to continue care for the rest of your life.
Family chiropractic care is meant to be healing, which means you and your chiropractor will create a treatment plan that has an end goal. No treatment is meant to last forever, although chiropractic care can involve regular adjustments to keep your body functioning at its best. Just like with any doctor, you’ll still want to return from time-to-time for check-ups.
Now that you better understand the two biggest myths of family chiropractic care, let’s look at some other misconceptions that tend to confuse patients.
Myth #3: Chiropractic care is only for back and neck pain.
In today’s modern chiropractic office, you’ll find a variety of doctors and specialists. This is because chiropractic care focuses on the entire health of the body. While your treatment plan will most likely include regular adjustments to correct issues with the back and neck, you may also see a personal trainer, a massage therapist, and a nutritionist, amongst others.
Myth #4: Chiropractic care is dangerous and can damage your body.
See Myth #1. Your chiropractor is a well-educated, trained doctor who will never intentionally try to hurt you. With extensive knowledge of the spine, bones, and muscles, your doctor knows how to move and adjust your body for the best results. Nothing is ever forced or dangerous.
Myth #5: Only adults should visit the chiropractor.
Family chiropractic care is exactly as it sounds: for the family. After consulting X-rays and symptoms, doctors make individualized treatment plans that are specific to the patient, regardless of age or body type. Many chiropractic techniques are modified to support patients of a younger age.
Myth #6: If I go to the chiropractor, I’ll be in pain.
Chiropractic care is meant to be healing and many patients feel pain relief after their first adjustment. In fact, one of the most commonly used descriptions of post-treatment is a feeling of “lightness”. Those suffering from extreme cases may take longer to feel this sense of relief, but it eventually comes for all patients who follow their treatment plans.