We found a great article on Neck Pain Prevention from www.healthcentral.com. In addition to regular chiropractic visits, these are things you can do every day to prevent neck pain.

Life can be a real pain in the neck. Don’t let it happen to you! Here are  10 ways to prevent neck pain from slowing your life down.

1.      Beware of Bifocal and Trifocal Glasses: If you are reading this through the bottom section of your glasses, then you are likely positioning your head and neck in an awkward position to do so. The best way to avoiding pinching your neck in order to utilize all portions of your prescription lenses is to have dedicated mono-focal prescription lenses that you can use for reading.

2.      Adjust your Computer Screen to You: If your computer monitor is too high, you will be looking up for hours. If your computer monitor is too low, you will be looking down for hours. These sustained postures are likely to cause a pain in your neck. The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has some great tips to help you adjust your monitor and prevent neck pain.

4.      Keep Your Shoulders Back and Your Chest Forward: The shoulders provide the base of support for your neck. Shoulders that drift to far forward, as the chest caves in, causes the head and neck to careening forward as if you were a turtle. Without a good foundation of support starting with your upper torso and shoulders, the neck tends to crumble.

5.      Maintain Good Shoulder Strength: The shoulders are a foundation of support, and because of this they need to be strong. Good muscle tone especially between the shoulder blades, where the rhomboid muscles reside, is critical for preventing neck pain.

6.      Use Arm Rests Whenever Possible: No matter how strong your shoulder and neck muscles are, you need to give them a rest sometimes. Armrests are an important way to keep the weight of your arms from constantly pulling on the neck muscles. Fatigue in these muscles eventually causes neck pain.

7.      Use a Good Supportive Pillow: While you are sleeping, you need to maintain good sleep posture. A pillow that is too thin can cause your head to reach for the pillow. A pillow that is too thick can force your neck to bend a certain direction all night. If you wake up with neck pain, try a different pillow.

8.      Adjust the Vehicle Headrest to a Proper Height: The Insurance Institute For Highway Safety (IIHS) recommends that the vehicle headrest be positioned at the center of your head. In the event of a sudden stop, the headrest can then help to prevent the neck from whipping back and forth.

9.      DO NOT SMOKE: Smoking is the fastest way to ruin your spine! According to a study reported in Spine 2004, spinal discs can degenerate very rapidly in smokers. A smoker’s spine does not heal quickly after an injury or surgery if at all. In fact, if you quit smoking now, you will probably have less pain later.

10.   Watch Your Weight: You may not realize that your body weight affects your neck, but it sure does. Your arms get heavier and your breasts get heavier as you gain weight. Furthermore, your shoulder blades spread apart as you gain weight also. All of these changes in an obese body increase your likelihood of developing neck pain.

Exercise Tip: One of the most important exercises for preventing neck pain is rowing.

How old do children have to be to see a chiropractor?  Are babies to young to see a chiropractor?  Dr. Trent Burrup answers these questions in our video below…

For more information on chiropractic, acupuncture, or other wellness therapies, please see our home page at SuperDocDC.com.

#1 lesson learned from having Breast Cancer….Get a Mammogram!!!

I am Carolynn Burrup, wife of Dr. Trent Burrup.  I am a mother of three beautiful children.  I am a sister, friend, daughter, and granddaughter.  I am also a Breast Cancer Survivor.

I was diagnosed with breast cancer in December of 2013, at age 44.  My mother died of breast cancer when she was 46 years old.  Her mother died of breast cancer at age 60.  I knew it was a possibility in my life too, so I have been getting regular mammograms for many years.  I have had lumps that turned out to be nothing.  So I was very surprised to have a routine mammogram turn up something when there was NO LUMP.  And my mastectomy revealed that there was a second larger tumor that didn’t even show up on the mammogram!

THIS IS IMPORTANT:  80% of women who get breast cancer have NO FAMILY HISTORY of it.

THIS IS ALSO IMPORTANT: The earlier they find breast cancer the higher your chance of survival.  Early stage breast cancer has the highest survival rate of any cancer at 89%.

Breast cancer is no longer a “death sentence” as it used to be…as it was for my mother and grandmother.  Detection is easy and treatment is very specific.

THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT: You can save your life by getting regular mammograms!  “Early detection is the best protection”. Regular clinical exams by your doctor and Breast MRI for high risk women should also be part of your health care.

Digital mammography is the newest technology, uses lower amounts of radiation for imaging, and shows clearer results to the radiologist.  This is the type of mammography that I had at The Breast Care Center at Jordan Valley Medical Center.

For more information on mammography read a great article here: http://sunradiology.com/breast-cancer-early-detection-is-your-best-protection/

Do it for your family, do it for yourself! BREAST CANCER IS TOTALLY BEATABLE!

Chiropractors have tremendous success treating neck pain, back pain, and headaches.  However, chiropractic can help many other health conditions not typically associated with chiropractic.

Many people come to The Institute of Chiropractic and Acupuncture Therapy because they have had little or no response to medical treatment or other chiropractic treatments.  Here are some common conditions we see in our clinic that have had successful outcomes with chiropractic treatments:

Headaches                       Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Back and neck pain           Fibromyalgia

Auto injuries/whiplash       Hormone Imbalances

Sports Injuries                  Digestive issues

Depression                       Allergies

Arthritis

There are many different chiropractic techniques that can be used for adjustments.  At The Institute some of the specific chiropractic techniques and methods Dr. Burrup has been trained in include Gonstead, Activator, Diversified, Thompson, Toggle Recoil, Nimmo, sports injury and extremity adjustment.

The goal of our clinic is to help our patients become empowered with their health, achieving their optimal wellness goals.  If you are suffering needlessly from pain, have a condition that has not responded well to medical care or other chiropractic treatments, or are trying to achieve optimal wellness in your life, chiropractic can help you on the road back to better health!

Dr. Trent Burrup is a chiropractor who provides care in Salt Lake City and surrounding areas including Sandy, Draper, South Jordan, West Jordan, Murray, and all other Salt Lake Metro areas. Come experience the difference at The Institute!