Articles for Your Health

The human body is composed of numerous systems with thousands of functions all designed to adjust themselves in order to return your body to a natural stability, despite ever-changing conditions that affect it. This natural process of returning to stable systems is called homeostasis. Some very visible examples of your body attempting to self-regulate to […]

Everyone has different requirements for sleep, but we can all agree that we seldom get enough good quality sleep every day. We can’t increase the number of hours in a day, but there are many sleep problems that can be addressed and improved with regular chiropractic care.  Pain For many people, sleep evades them because […]

This time of year, we see an uptick in chiropractic visits from people slipping and falling on ice. To help you avoid pain and injury, we have put together these tips for walking safely on snow and ice:  Plan Ahead You may need time to clear off your car or clear a path. Remember traffic […]

This may seem like an unusual article from a chiropractor, but many of the injuries we treat are the result of activities that fall outside of the normal routine your body is familiar with. This includes rare or infrequent home maintenance tasks that you might only perform in the fall, to prepare for winter. Learn […]

Did you know that lower back pain is one of the leading reasons why people are prescribed opioids? Opioids are not only a bad long-term strategy for managing pain, but almost half of all U.S. opioid overdose deaths involve a prescription opioid. Try chiropractic first! Chiropractors like Dr. Sell should be your first resource, on […]

We wake up, roll out of bed, and pay almost no attention to little things we do every day. But it’s our small habits that add up over time, and some of these habits can be very stressful for your body! The good news is that becoming aware of these habits can help us make […]

We all know the basics of how to properly lift items and carry loads: • Lift with your legs • Carry the item close to your body • Get help if it’s heavy • Don’t twist It’s also important to plan ahead and think through all the steps of how you plan to lift the […]

It’s summertime. It’s hot. But we want to be outside and enjoy the sunshine at the same time. When we’re having fun, we sometimes don’t give our bodies the healthy attention they need.  We need to make sure to stay hydrated in the heat of summer to help regulate our body temperature through sweat and […]

What is Ergonomics?  Ergonomics is the study of interactions between humans and their surroundings, often fitting working environments around people to reduce the chances of discomfort and injury.  A lot of work equipment is standardized, to make it easier to manufacture and distribute. However, these standard sizes don’t fit the wide variety of human bodies […]

We talked about the importance of strengthening your spine a couple of months ago. Core strength in your back and abdominal muscles improves circulation, reduces numerous health risks, improves performance of your everyday activities, and prolongs your life. If you sit and stand a lot, you need to exercise your core. Before starting any new […]

Last month, we talked about some beginning exercises you can do to strengthen your core, which supports your spine. Along with exercising, rest is also important. Why? Because exercise causes microscopic stress on your muscle fibers and other tissues, and rest allows your body to repair those tissues and help your muscle fibers grow.  Your […]

How strong is your spine? The spinal column is the central structure supporting your entire body, and the spinal cord provides neurological connecting points for all of your body’s functions. Your spine is what allows you to sit, stand, bend, twist, walk, and more. So, spinal health is important to everything you do! What can […]

Are Dry Needling and Acupuncture the same thing?  Yes and no. Yes, in that both treatments involve placing small needles on the body. But no, they are not the same in regards to WHERE the needles are placed. Acupuncture believes in placing the needles in specific “chi” areas of the body to focus on the […]

Winter brings many changes to not only the outside, but also your body. The change in weather can cause joint pains to flare up. As the temperatures drop, your joints stiffen up and your muscles contract to keep you warm, causing discomfort and pain. A chiropractor can help keep your joints and muscles loose and […]

Chiropractic adjustments have been shown to reduce the stress on the nervous system, thereby boosting the coordinated responses of the nervous and immune systems. During the flu epidemic of 1917-1918, both chiropractors and osteopaths noticed that their patients had a lower fatality rate, 0.25% than the medical profession at 5-6%. The conclusion of a paper […]

Did you know that problems with your spine cause other health complications you wouldn’t typically associate with your back? Cervical (neck) problems can lead to: Headaches Nervousness Insomnia Head Colds Blood Pressure Fatigue Sinus Trouble Allergies Earaches Low Immunity Nerve Pain Stiff Neck Trapezius Pain Chronic Cough Shoulder Pain Thyroid Problems Runny Nose Carpal Tunnel […]

Everyone’s spine has natural curves. These curves round our shoulders and make our lower back curve slightly inward. But some people have spines that also curve from side to side. Unlike poor posture, these curves can’t be corrected simply by learning to stand up straight. This condition of side-to-side spinal curves is called scoliosis. On […]

Top-level athletes have long believed in the value of chiropractic.  Now add motocross riders to the list of athletes that includes, among others, professional golfers and football players. Motocross is a sport in which riders drive high=performance motorcycles through a course of joltin jumps.  At the  2007 LG Action Sports Championship of Freestyle Motocross (FMX) […]

Good posture – the way you carry your body – is not just an appearance consideration.  The symmetrical alignment of shoulders, hips, knees, ankles and feet is critical to maintaining a healthy spine and lifestyle.  When these body parts are aligned properly, the spine will maintain its natural curve. If you were standing still, it […]

Portable cutting-edge electronics may make life more convenient and amusing, but they also are taking their toll on users in the form of neck, shoulder, and back pain, according to the American Chiropractic Association.  Blackberries, iPods, cell phones, laptop computers and various hand-held gaming devices can be fun and help us keep in touch, but […]

It’s not only old people who can have back pain.  Degenerative disc disease can appear in people as young as 20.  Chronic neck or back pain can result from this condition, which is not really a disease, but the result of wear and tear on your spine. A healthy spine has discs – shock-absorbing cushions, if […]

Sleep is critical to good health and to the proper functioning of the body.  It’s the mind and body’s way of recharging for the next day’s activities.  Some people who have trouble sleeping take medication.  Some of them end up with unpleasant after effects in the morning.  Since doctors of chiropractic do not prescribe medicine, […]

Injury to a disc – 23 of them cushion the bones of the spine – can cause symptoms ranging from pain to tingling, numbness and weakness.  If the problem is in the neck, the symptoms may be felt in the shoulders, arms and hands.  If the problem is in the lower spine, the symptoms may […]

Life offers a new mother or father fewer joys greater than getting out in the air with a new baby for a run, a hike or a simple walk.  To get the most out of the experience, consider some precautions recommended by the American Chiropractic Association to avoid injury to either you or your baby. […]

A twisted ankle, whether you rolled it in or out, is a painful experience.  It can take weeks to recover from the injury, and its effects may linger well into the future.  That’s because ligaments torn during the immediate injury rarely repair satisfactorily and generate scar tissue, which is not flexible.  This raises the likelihood […]

Young people, college students among them, can reap benefit, both long- and short-term, from the care of a chiropractor.  The lifestyle of many college students can ultimately lead to problems with the back and with other joints. Long hours spent hunched over a laptop computer or over a book in the library or a dormitory […]

Despite the high prevalence of musculoskeletal pain during pregnancy, few women in underserved populations receive treatment for their low back pain, according to a February 2007 study in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (JMPT).  Moreover, researchers found that pain in a previous pregnancy may predict a high risk for musculoskeletal complaints in future […]

Arthritis comes in as many as 100 forms, affecting the body in as many different ways.  One of the most common forms of arthritis is osteoarthritis, sometimes called degenerative arthritis and colloquially referred to as a “wear and tear” condition.  While people may commonly associate the pain and discomfort of osteoarthritis with major joints like […]

Regular chiropractic treatment offers a variety of benefits for older patients.  Pain relief is one of them.  Some of the aches and pains associated with old age could be related to misalignments in the spine and the subsequent pressure on nerves that emanate from it.  Medication and pain relievers may ease the symptoms, but a […]

Shooting pain in the leg may be the result of a condition called sciatica (sign-AT-uh-cuh).  It is named after the sciatic nerve, which branches off the spinal cord in the lower back and passes through the buttock, the back of the leg and into the calf and foot.  If the nerve becomes compressed, as through […]

Athletic activity is generally good for you.  It can put strain on your back, however.  Tennis, golf, diving, rowing and cycling can put tremendous pressure on the back.  Runners, by the way, have a statistically lower chance of developing back problems than do other athletes. One way to avoid back problems is to do exercises […]